Operation: Finding Backbone
by fallinrain
Summary: Kelsi knows that she has a backbone, in theory, but has never had much in finding it - let alone using it. But that's going to change now that another woman is after her man. A Ryan/Kelsi story with a little Halloween flavor thrown in.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer for the entire story: I own nothing. Well, I guess I technically own Dawn and Charles (who you'll meet later), but I'm not so sure I want them. You'll see why if you read. ;) **

**A/N: Okay, okay, so I'm sure most of you are looking at this and wondering if I've lost my mind starting a new story when I have three I'm already working on. But I got this idea for a Halloween-related story that just wouldn't leave me alone, so I knew I had to write it. It was originally going to be a oneshot , but as I thought about it I ended up coming up with a backstory that I really wanted to write. What started out as a Halloween oneshot has become more of a story about Kelsi finding her long missing backbone (as you might of guessed from the title). I'm pretty positive that will be end up having five chapters, total. So it's kind of a mini-story, if you will. I sort of kept this in line with the movies, but I also changed some things. You'll see what as we go along. The story itself takes place during their second year at Julliard and they're still a couple. Normally I would wait to post yet another story, but considering that tomorrow is Halloween (for everyone who celebrates Halloween, that is), I decided that I'd just go ahead and get it posted, especially since it's not a drawn out story like my others. Rest assured, I have NOT forgotten about my other stories. ** **I plan to dive back into those ASAP (LP and LN specifically, though I'm also hoping to break my TYS block soon too). This story is coming along really fast for me and I'm pretty certain I can have it done within a week. At least that's the goal. So yeah...Happy Halloween Ryelsi fans! Hope you like this little sub-project I've thrown together within the last couple of days. As always, let me know!  
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"I found it!" Kelsi Nielson nearly levitated at the sound of Sharpay Evans triumphant cry, mentally chiding herself for being so jumpy. "The perfect Halloween costume for you!" Kelsi winced nervously in anticipation as Sharpay came rushing towards her from the other row of costumes, her brown eyes glowing with excitement. Her hands were behind her at the moment, hiding the costume from Kelsi's view. "Ryan is going to die when he sees you in this! I mean it, he's going to have a heart attack and drop dead right on the spot. It'll be fabulous!"

"You think your brother dying would be fabulous?" Kelsi managed, trying to peer around Sharpay and wondering for probably the hundredth time if it had been a wise choice to let _Sharpay_ of all people pick her Halloween costume.

"Oh, you know what I mean." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "You're going to look gorgeous! Close your eyes," she ordered.

"Sharpay," Kelsi began, but trailed off at the look of warning in her eyes. "Okay, okay," she muttered, closing her eyes obediently. Sharpay had assured her that she now thought of Kelsi as a friend, but the years of being pretty much completely terrified of her had taken their toll. Kelsi often found herself worrying that she was going to do something to cause the ever familiar wrath of Sharpay to come rising to the surface once more.

"Could you try not to look so scared, Kelsi?" Sharpay asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I mean, honestly, it's not like I'm going to present you with a chicken suit or anything like that. Ugh." Sharpay wrinkled her nose as she happened to spot a chicken costume conveniently hung up nearby. "Why would anyone want to dress up like poultry? So unflattering." She shook her head in disgust before bringing her attention back to the issue at hand. She flung the costume out from behind her back and shook it out briefly, grinning at it. "This is going to be so great," she exclaimed, sounding delighted with herself. "Open your eyes!" Kelsi obeyed, albeit slowly...first opening one eye and then the other.

"You have got to be kidding." Kelsi felt her eyes widen in horror as she took in the costume...a costume which seemed to be lacking in terms of material, as far as Kelsi was concerned. "You...you want me..." she sputtered, her eyes flickering anxiously between Sharpay's face and the costume. "You want me to wear that!?"

"No, Kelsi," Sharpay said slowly, speaking to her like she might speak to a toddler. "I just spent the last twenty minutes searching for a costume that I have no intention of you actually wearing." Another eye roll. "Of course I want you to wear this!"

"But...but...isn't that a little skimpy?" Kelsi asked timidly.

"Oh please." Sharpay dismissed the question with a casual wave of her hand. "Have you _seen_ some of the costumes in this place? This is nothing."

"Are you kidding?" Kelsi squeaked. She gestured to a Maid Marion costume hanging up beside her. "_This_ is nothing and this is so much more...so much more _me_."

"It's pretty," Sharpay acknowledged. "If you were performing in a stage production of _Robin Hood_." A third eye roll. "But this is Halloween we're talking about here and Halloween is all about fantasy."

"Fantasy." Kelsi repeated. "What if my fantasy was to be Maid Marion?" she challenged.

"Kelsi, Kelsi, Kelsi," Sharpay shook her head as she spoke, her eyes appraising the smaller woman in a pitying kind of way. "Sweet, innocent Kelsi." She reached out a hand to pat Kelsi's shoulder sympathetically. "You called me in a panic, practically begging me to come rushing off to New York to help you pick out the perfect Halloween costume." She lifted the outfit she was holding. "A costume that would knock my brother's socks off and put that awful Dawn person in her place. And did I or did I not..." She trailed off, watching Kelsi's eyes narrow as they focused in on something Sharpay couldn't see. "What?"

"Speak of the she-devil herself," Kelsi muttered. "She just walked in."

"She did?" Sharpay spun around, taking note of a college aged girl with bright reddish blonde hair standing just inside the store and looking around. The girl was about Sharpay's height and was skinny with sharp facial features. Sharpay let out an amused huff as she studied her. "Her? That's the girl that wants to steal Ryan from you?"

"Dawn Jenkins." Kelsi shook her head, feeling her blood begin to boil at the mere sight of the girl. "Otherwise known as the spawn of Satan."

"Geez, Kelsi, why don't you tell me how you really feel about her?" Sharpay teased, a surprised giggle escaping her at Kelsi's words. "In all the years I've known you, I have never seen this side of you."

"I know...I'm being childish," Kelsi admitted, flashing Sharpay a sheepish smile. "I don't know what it is about her. I mean...I've come across people I didn't like before, but I have never met someone that irritated me so much. It's like seeing her turns me into this completely different person...I don't understand it."

"She's trying to take your man," Sharpay said simply. "I'd say that justifies you hating her guts." She let out a sarcastic huff. "Of course, her wannabe designer clothes and cheaply dyed hair don't really help." She tilted her head as she watched the other girl. "Let this be a lesson to you, Kelsi. If you ever choose to color your hair, make sure that the color you pick compliments your skin tone. Otherwise, you could end up looking like _that_." She pursed her lips as Kelsi softly giggled. "And don't get me started on her makeup. Ugh. It looks like a clown exploded all over her face."

"Nice one," Kelsi chuckled, amused.

"I try," Sharpay grinned, her eyes narrowing mischievously as the other girl looked over at them. "I think we're about to have company."

"Oh wonderful," Kelsi muttered. "I may be catty towards her when she's not around, but every time she is I turn back into the same ole spineless Kelsi I've always been. It's so easy for her to push me around," she sighed.

"We really have to work on that," Sharpay decided. "You shouldn't give her the satisfaction of letting her get to you."

"I'd love to," Kelsi nodded. "But right now it looks like we're running out of time." Sure enough, Dawn Jenkins began slowly making her way towards them, a smirk slowly appearing on her face. "She'll just push me around like usual."

"Well, maybe she can push you around when you're by yourself, but you're forgetting something very important," Sharpay said, her voice somehow sounding both light and dangerous.

"What's that?" Kelsi asked.

"You have something that she does not. Me." Sharpay grinned in anticipation. "And no one _ever_ pushes me around."

"You can say that again," Kelsi mumbled.

"Kelsi, darling." Kelsi winced at the sound of Dawn's voice, though she was amused to watch Sharpay's eyes widen at the sound of it. Dawn possessed a very high pitched almost baby-like voice. "What a surprise to find _you_ here. Picking out a costume for the party?" Kelsi watched as Dawn's smirk deepened. "Oh my gosh!" she gasped in what Kelsi was sure was fake excitement. "I have the perfect costume for you! You could go to the party as a cow!" She trailed her eyes over Kelsi, her expression turning mean. "It would certainly be appropriate...especially considering that you could stand to look a few pounds. I mean, have you _looked_ in the mirror lately? Ouch."

"Why you no-good..." Sharpay began before trailing off to clear her throat. When she spoke again her voice was sweet, deceptively so. "I mean...I don't believe we've met." She flashed Dawn a fake smile as she held a hand out. "I'm a good friend of Kelsi's...we go way back. What's your name?"

"I'm Dawn...Dawn Jenkins," Dawn said, seeming to take Sharpay's appearance in for the first time since making her way over. "And you are?"

"Oh, that's right. Silly me," Sharpay let out a short laugh and turned to Kelsi. "I almost forgot." She flashed Kelsi a wink before continuing. "I'm Sharpay...Sharpay _Evans_."

"Evans?" Dawn's eyes lit up with recognition. "Are you...are you related to Ryan Evans, by any chance?"

"I'm his twin," Sharpay confirmed.

"Oh! It is so nice to meet you!" Dawn gushed, shaking Sharpay's hand enthusiastically. "Your brother is so talented...not to mention gorgeous."

"Well, good looks run in the family," Sharpay nodded, yanking her hand free of Dawn's grasp and making a show of wiping it on her top. "Same with talent."

"I can't believe that I'm actually getting to meet Ryan's sister. He talks about his family a lot. Family seems to be very important to him."

"It is," Sharpay nodded.

"I so admire that in a man." Dawn stepped closer to Sharpay, managing to discreetly push Kelsi back a few steps...at least, it would have been seen as discreet to a casual observer, but Sharpay found herself barely holding back an eye roll. "A love of family is one of the most important qualities I look for in a boyfriend...or a husband." Dawn flashed Kelsi a mocking smile. "Actually, to be perfectly honest, Sharpay...there's a lot of things I look for in a man and your brother happens to have all of them."

"Ryan is a catch, I agree. Again...that runs in the family," Sharpay managed, struggling not to lose her temper...at least not right at that moment.

"And if I can continue being so honest with you..." Dawn trailed off, waiting for Sharpay's encouragement to go on.

"Oh, please do," Sharpay said kindly.

"If you ask me, it's only a matter of time before Ryan realizes that he and I would be perfect together. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if I end up spending the holiday season with you and your lovely family," Dawn said boldly. "I can't wait to get to know you all."

"I can," Sharpay replied. "Listen, Donna, was it?"

"Dawn," Dawn corrected.

"Donna, Dawn....whatever." Sharpay waved her hand to indicate that she didn't really care. "As I'm sure you are aware, my brother happens to have a girlfriend. Remember Kelsi?"

"Oh, please," Dawn laughed. "Like Ryan could ever be serious about _her_. She may have been good for him back while they were still in high school, but we're in college now. It's a time to grow and expand your horizons. Ryan's not going to remain interested in her once he sees how much the world has to offer him. And by the world I mean me. Sharpay...there are so many things I can introduce him to that she can't."

"Like what, an STD?" Sharpay quipped, causing Dawn's jaw to drop. "Look, _darling_, my brother is and has always been a man of impeccable taste. He has always known exactly what he wants and knows how to go about finding those things. The more important something is to him, the more he goes after it and you can rest assured that once he gets what he wants - and believe me, he pretty much _always_ gets what he wants – he holds onto it. He does whatever it takes to keep it and take care of it. Whether it is a possession, a career," Sharpay glanced at Kelsi, her expression softening "or a person and it might be of interest to you to note that he knew he wanted Kelsi from the first second he laid eyes on her. Over four years ago." She let out a sarcastic laugh. "And believe me, he has _no_ intention of letting her go. You don't have a chance."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Dawn shot back, though it was easy to tell that Sharpay's words had shaken her up. "She's the one without a chance. Because once I show up to that p-party wearing...wearing..." Her eyes lit up as she spotted a costume and yanked it off the wall. "Wearing this." Kelsi winced as she took in the outfit Dawn now held in her hands – a very skimpy French maid costume. "Once Ryan sees me in this, he's going to forget all about Kelsi and her thick thighs. He's going to see me wearing this and it's going to be impossible for him to keep his hands off me." She grinned wickedly. "Especially since I'm sure he's feeling pretty frustrated considering who he's dating." She studied Kelsi, her expression growing meaner by the second. "I bet you never even kissed a guy before dating Ryan...am I right?"

"N-no," Kelsi stammered. "I...I dated someone before Ryan."

"You did?" Dawn lifted her eyebrows in surprise, taking a moment to let that bit of information sink in before her smirk reappeared. "Tell me something, Kelsi, why did you and that other guy break up?"

"He was a no-good piece of garbage," Sharpay spoke up, growing more angry by the second. "He cheated on her and she dumped his sorry butt, just like any smart woman would."

"He cheated," Dawn nodded, knowingly. "You know one the main reasons men cheat, Kelsi? Probably _the_ main reason?" She plowed into the answer before Kelsi could respond. "It's because the woman their dating refuses to put out, that's why. My guess is that he wanted to sleep with you..." She trailed off, chuckling. "Why, I have no idea...desperation maybe...but, yeah, I bet he wanted to sleep with you and you told him no. So he got it somewhere else. Am I right?"

"Leave her alone," Sharpay snapped.

"Am I right?" Dawn repeated, ignoring Sharpay. "Come on, you can admit it. I think we all know the truth anyway. Am I right?" Kelsi sighed, hating the way her eyes filled with tears as Dawn repeated her question for the third time. "Well?"

"Y-yes," Kelsi whispered.

"Just what I thought." Dawn shook her head, clearly proud with herself. "You're a prude." Dawn pursed her lips. "Or maybe it's more that you're a tease. You know...you start giving a guy what he wants with no intention of following through." She let out a harsh laugh. "Not that you'd know what to do anyway...maybe it's better than you hold out. You know...better to lead him on and think he's missing out on something great rather then agree to go all the way without knowing what to do to, well, satisfy him accordingly. Men deserve better than that, you know. _Ryan_ deserves better than that. He's figure that out soon enough."

"That's enough," Sharpay growled. "My brother happens to be in love with Kelsi and that is exactly how he'll stay. You know why? It's because Ryan knows the difference between class and trash. Kelsi is all class and you..." Sharpay smirked mockingly. "You are a nothing more than a cheap, phony piece of trash with a bad dye job. You're out of your league, Donna."

"My name is Dawn!" Dawn protested.

"You say that like I actually care," Sharpay snickered before turning her attention to Kelsi, her face falling slightly at the look that was on her friend's face. "I have no interest in you, _Donna_, and neither does my brother. It's like I told you: he's in love with Kelsi. He gets more pleasure from simply holding her hand than he would if he were to spend an entire night with a tramp like you. And besides..." She turned her focus back to Dawn. "My brother prefers brunettes. Not...whatever your natural hair color is." She shuddered. "I mean, seriously...next time you dye your hair, try to make sure that it doesn't clash with your face. This," Sharpay gestured to Dawn's hair, "is just bad...on so many levels. And please, there are things called mirrors. Try using one when you apply your makeup, okay? Just a thought," she smirked. "Unless, of course, you _like_ looking like Bozo the clown's streetwalking daughter."

"I beg your pardon?!" Dawn gasped, outraged.

"Sorry...I'm all out of pardons at the moment. Try me again never, okay? Now do us both a favor and find someone else to terrorize, would you? Kelsi has a Halloween costume to try on and I...well, looking at you is starting to make my eyes hurt..." Sharpay admitted.

"I...you...I..." Dawn sputtered.

"I think the circus is coming to town," Sharpay added. "You should try out. Between your hair and your makeup, not to mention your hideous wardrobe, you're a shoo-in!"

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes," Dawn muttered through clenched teeth.

"Yeah...right." Sharpay drew the second word out slowly. "Those shoes with those pants? Please. And don't get me started on that purse...heck, my _dog_ has better accessories."

"How dare you..." Dawn growled, annoyed when Sharpay casually waved her off and turned her focus back to Kelsi.

"Here," Sharpay said softly, shoving the outfit into Kelsi's hands. "There's some dressing rooms in the back of the store. Go try this on."

"I don't know, Sharpay," Kelsi said quietly, still holding off tears after Dawn's harsh words. "I don't think this is me..."

"It's not," Dawn offered, amusement mixing in with her anger as she studied the costume that Kelsi now held. "That costume is actually kind of sexy and, well, you're not."

"Come on, Kelsi." Sharpay leaned in to whisper in Kelsi's ear. "I know you have a backbone hidden in there somewhere. Use it!"

"I'm telling you, Kelsi...a cow costume is definitely the way to go," Dawn taunted.

"Ignore Bozo and trust me," Sharpay countered. "Yes, it's a little skimpier than what you're used to, but it's still totally cute and classy. You'll look amazing in this and Ryan will love it," Sharpay smirked. "And besides...a little goes a long way with Ryan. I bet this shows just enough skin to drive him crazy. Halloween's on a Saturday this year, right? I can fly out and help you with your hair and makeup if you want. You'll look beautifully fabulous and Ryan won't be able to take his eyes off you all night."

"Of course he won't," Dawn muttered sarcastically. "It'll be the first time he'll see a human cow trying to pass off as something sexy. It'll be like a bad car accident. You know, where you don't want to look, but you just can't help yourself."

"Kelsi, come on!" Sharpay hissed in her ear.

"R-Ryan doesn't seem to have a p-problem with how I look," Kelsi managed, encouraged when Sharpay smiled at her. "He...he thinks I'm beautiful. I should know...he's always telling me. S-Sharpay's right. You don't stand a chance."

"Thatta girl," Sharpay whispered.

"You can w-wear what you want. It won't change the fact that Ryan's in love with me." Kelsi struggled to say the words...in her head, she knew they were true, but her heart...her heart was now full of doubt, thanks to Dawn. Ignoring the doubt and fighting to hold onto what her head knew as the truth, she pressed on, forcing herself to sound strong. "The only way you could ever have a chance with him would be if I let him go...and you...you should..." Kelsi chewed on her lip for a moment, furiously working to hold back the tears that still wanted to escape. "You should know that I have no intention of letting him go. N-now...if you'll excuse me...I have a costume to try on."

"Good job," Sharpay murmured, giving her an oddly warm smile. "Go on...I'll wrap things up here." Kelsi managed to nod and headed towards the dressing rooms, resisting the overwhelming urge to break into a run. "You can go ahead and buy that costume and you can do everything in your power to break them up, but it's not happening. What Kelsi said was true for the most part. See, _Donna_," Sharpay smirked, "you wouldn't stand a chance with my brother even if she _wasn't_ in the picture. It's like I told you: my brother knows the difference between class and trash and he will _always_ pick class. And you? You're about as far from classy as you can get. Besides, even if my brother was dumb enough to ever give you a second look, your relationship with him wouldn't last all that long because I'll be damned if I'll have a slut for a sister-in-law."

"Which, between you and me," Sharpay continued, "is _exactly_ what Kelsi will be someday. You hate her because she has the one thing you _never_ will: my brother. I think I _will_ fly out here for the party because I want to see firsthand all the lowdown dirty tricks I'm sure you will pull."

"I hope you _do_ make it out to the party," Dawn cut in, struggling not to be intimidated by Sharpay and not quite succeeding. "Because I _will_ make Ryan mine. And don't worry...I'll make sure that you and Kelsi have a front row seat. I'd hate for you to miss Ryan falling right into my waiting arms."

"Bring it, Bozo," Sharpay challenged. "I want a front row seat, all right, but it's not to watch you steal my brother away from Kelsi. No, see, it's because I cannot _wait_ to see you go down in flames. Which you will."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens, won't we?" Dawn countered.

"I guess we will," Sharpay agreed. "Does this mean you're leaving? Because I would really love for my eyes - and my ears for that matter - to stop hurting."

"Yeah...I'm leaving." Dawn lifted an eyebrow at her. "See you at the party?"

"See you at the party," Sharpay echoed, smirking again as she watched Dawn walk away. "Hey Dawn?" she called.

"What?" Dawn snapped, spinning back around to face her.

"Do you smell that?" Sharpay sniffed dramatically.

"Smell what?" Dawn asked, annoyed.

"The smoke," Sharpay replied, a wicked grin flashing across her face. "And you know what they say: where there's smoke, there's fire. You're going down." When she spoke again, her voice was overly perky. "Toodles!" She wagged her fingers at Dawn and then spun around to march towards the dressing rooms, pulling her cell phone out of her purse in the process. Her grin faded as soon as she was out of Dawn's sight, worried about Kelsi. Kelsi may have somehow found the courage to stand up to Dawn, but Sharpay also knew that Dawn's words had affected her more than they should have. Significantly more. She thumbed her way through her list of contacts, hitting send once she reached Ryan's name.

"Hey Sharpay." Sharpay smiled briefly, relieved that her brother had answered so quickly.

"Hey Ry..." she said slowly, unsure of how much she should tell him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly sounding concerned. "Are you okay? Are you still with Kelsi? Is she okay?"

"How do you do that?" Sharpay asked, astonished that he had zeroed in on the reason for her call so fast. "Anyway, to answer your last three questions...yes, I'm okay and yes, I'm still with Kelsi. And no...she's not okay."

"What's wrong?" he repeated his first question and Sharpay nearly smiled again at how he seemed to have grown more worried in a matter of seconds.

"We, well, we had a run in with Bozo, I mean, that awful Dawn person," Sharpay corrected herself.

"Bozo." Ryan chuckled in spite of himself. "I prefer to liken her to a human version of a cockroach myself, but Bozo works too." Sharpay giggled, amused.

"Geez...we can be kind of mean sometimes, can't we?" she teased him, though she quickly grew more serious. "Anyway, we ran into her and she said some things...I said some things...she said more things and Kelsi actually managed to stand up to her, which was great, but...well..." Sharpay paused, her voice going soft. "Not before Dawn got to her. I think she's really shaken up and I think she really, _really_ needs to hear from her boyfriend. Like right now."

"Bye." Sharpay gaped at her phone in shock, stunned that Ryan had actually hung up to her. Normally she would be furious, but now she smiled, shaking her head. Her brother was definitely head over heels in love with Kelsi, there was no denying that. Now all he had to do was convince _Kelsi_ of that.

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Kelsi paced the small dressing room, her purse on the bench and the costume hanging on the hook on the door. She sniffled as she angrily swiped at the tears that were still falling even after being in the dressing room for a couple of minutes. Her brain was telling her to get a hold of herself, but that wasn't enough to stop the hurt from flowing. She knew that Dawn was a jealous and most likely insecure person and as such would do everything in her power to try and make Kelsi feel bad about herself. She also knew that she shouldn't give Dawn's words more than a passing thought, but for some reason always did. Kelsi had always been an emotional and sensitive person which she knew wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but times like this she couldn't help wishing she was more like Sharpay.

She let out sad sigh at the thought. It wasn't that she wanted to be _exactly_ like Sharpay, she just admired the way that the blonde never seemed to have a problem saying exactly what was on her mind. She wasn't one to get easily intimidated and she had no trouble standing up for herself. She was a lot like Taylor McKessie in that respect. Kelsi sniffled again at the thought of Taylor. Too bad _she_ hadn't been around for the showdown between Dawn and Sharpay. Dawn would've run away screaming if that had been the case.

Kelsi allowed a small smile at that thought, though she had to admit that Sharpay had handled the situation in typical Sharpay fashion which had definitely been enough to intimidate Dawn. Kelsi was positive that she had never seen her rival look so shaken up. Kelsi turned back around and hesitated as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her eyes red-rimmed from the tears that refused to stop flowing. "I am such a wimp," Kelsi whispered to her reflection. Not only had she barely been able to halfway stick up for herself, she had also been reduced to tears. She shook her head, disgusted with herself. "Hmm," she muttered, turning first one way and then the other. 'Maybe I do need to lose a few pounds', she thought.

She sat down on the bench with another sigh, her mind replaying the confrontation with Dawn once more. Kelsi was certain that Dawn would never have a chance with Ryan even if he was single. Dawn wasn't exactly the type of girl Ryan went for. Kelsi started to smile at that thought, but stopped as a new thought came to mind. She wouldn't exactly think of herself as the type of girl Ryan went for either. Her relationship with Ryan didn't make any sense, as far as she was concerned. Sure, she was hopelessly in love with him and she doubted anyone would blame her. Ryan was easily one of the most wonderful people Kelsi had ever met and so caring and loving. He was funny and charming and talented - insanely so. She would've been crazy not to fall for him.

The problem with their relationship, the thing that didn't make sense, was the fact that Ryan was in love with _her_. Not only that – he had been interested in Kelsi even before she'd realized her own feelings for him. Of course, she'd had a boyfriend when the Evans twins first showed up at East High, but even so. She had been oblivious to his feelings for her and vice versa, up until the point she had broken up with her cheating boyfriend. After the break up, she had initially been confused by her developing feelings for Ryan before giving in and letting herself fall for him completely. They'd become a couple by the end of their senior year.

It just didn't make sense. Out of all the girls at East High, he had chosen her. Her with her mousy brown hair and thick thighs...not that she had really thought she'd had thick thighs up until the point Dawn mentioned them. Her head knew that that had been Dawn's goal, but she couldn't help noticing that they _did_ look a little thick when she looked in the mirror.

'Ryan deserves so much better than me,' she thought, feeling ridiculously depressed and angry at the same time. Depressed because she believed it and angry because it was all Dawn's fault. "Spawn of Satan," Kelsi mumbled under her breath, jumping at the sound of her cell phone. She pulled it out of her purse and nearly smiled when she saw that it was Ryan. 'That boy has incredible timing,' she thought as she swiped her hand at her cheeks again and cleared her throat before answering.

"Hi," she said softly, willing her voice to sound normal so he wouldn't know she was crying.

"Hey beautiful." His voice was low and soothing and Kelsi found her eyes closing, leaning back against the wall of the dressing room. She was suddenly missing him even though she had seen him the day before. "How are you?" The question seemed laced with meaning and Kelsi resisted the urge to sigh, assuming that his tone meant that he had talked to his sister recently.

"I'm good," she answered, hating how fake her voice sounded and knowing he'd be able to tell. "How are you?"

"Well...I _was_ doing really good, hanging out with Zeke since my dance class ended," he began. "It's been nice having him and Sharpay out to visit, you know? Good seeing them."

"Yes, it has," Kelsi agreed.

"Yeah...but back to your question...I _was_ doing really good, but then I got a phone call," he continued.

"Gee, I wonder who that could've been from," she halfway teased him, though her heart wasn't in it. "A certain pink wearing sister of yours, perhaps?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. And she told me that the two of you had a run-in with the human cockroach," he answered, surprising a soft giggle out of her. "Well, I liked hearing that," he added.

"The human cockroach?" Kelsi asked, amused in spite of herself.

"Sure. It fits, don't you think?" he countered.

"I still like spawn of Satan myself...though human cockroach is pretty good too. I also liked Sharpay's Bozo," Kelsi snickered, unable to resist, but quickly sobered. "But let me guess...Sharpay told you that she thought I was upset and told you to call me."

"Are you?" he wanted to know.

"Upset? Of course not," she lied. "It's just Dawn. Why should I care what she says?"

"You shouldn't," Ryan replied. "But you do."

"I'm fine," she insisted, horrified when her voice broke.

"Baby." His voice was gentle. "If this is what you consider fine, than our definitions of that word don't match up."

"Okay, fine. I'm _not_ fine, okay? I've been sitting here crying all because some pathetic excuse of a woman whose opinion doesn't matter got to me. Face it, Ryan. Your girlfriend is a spineless, pathetic, overemotional, overly sensitive wimp who could stand to lose a few pounds," she sighed.

"Kelsi..." There was a brief pause as Ryan tried to figure out the best way to respond. "There are so many things wrong with that last sentence that I don't know where to begin. You're not spineless, Kelsi, you just-"

"Never stick up for myself, ever," she interrupted.

"And yet you have no problems interrupting your boyfriend," he teased causing her to half-smile. His voice was soft and sincere when he continued speaking. "Your boyfriend who, by the way, loves you very, very much."

"Oh, Ryan," she sighed, wishing he was with her. "I love you too."

"Then let me finish," he chided her gently. "You are in no way pathetic and, yes, you are an emotional person, but not overly so. That's one of the things I love about you. Same with your sensitivity."

"You love that I'm so oversensitive that stupid comments by stupid people make me cry?" she asked.

"Well, no. I hate it when you cry, especially when I'm not there to make it better," he answered. "Let's see, what else was there? You called yourself a wimp, right? You're not a wimp, Kelsi. I think you're stronger than you think you are. You just have to believe it." He hesitated. "And you thinking you have to lose a few pounds is insane. You're beautiful just the way you are."

"So...does that mean you don't think I have thick thighs?" she asked, shyly, suddenly relieved that he couldn't see her face since it was slowly turning pink.

"Oh for heaven's sake. There is nothing wrong with your thighs. Or any other part of your body for that matter...and that's all I'm going to say about that since I really don't know how to continue without sounding like a pervert," he said quickly, making her giggle. "Feeling better yet?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm not sure if I believe you or not, but I appreciate you saying all of that," she said softly.

"I must be doing something wrong if you don't believe me," he sighed dramatically. "I guess that means that we'll just have to send Zeke and Sharpay out in the city by themselves tonight. That way the two of us can spend a quiet night alone in my apartment so I can convince you that what I'm saying is the truth," he said lightly.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked, smiling.

"Oh, I have my ways. Don't you worry your pretty little head about that," he said mysteriously. "Sound like a plan?"

"What time?"

"Seven?" he suggested.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Okay," he repeated. "Hey."

"What?"

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too, baby," she said softly. "See you at seven."

"See you at seven," he echoed. She smiled as she hung up, happy that she'd be seeing him in a couple of hours. Fueled by their conversation, Kelsi looked over at the costume that she had still not tried on and immediately got to her feet.

"I guess it can't hurt to try you on." She kept her voice quiet, lest she be committed for talking to a Halloween costume. "Maybe Sharpay's right...maybe you _are_ the perfect costume. One way to find out." She lifted it off the hook and held it up to herself, feeling a new resolve take over her body. Somehow she would find her missing confidence before the Halloween party and no way would she let some bright haired floozy steal away the man she loved.

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**Hmm...I wonder what Kelsi's gonna be for Halloween. Any guesses? From anyone other than erfan18 since she already knows. ;) **

**Fanfic recommendation time. Is it me or has it been a little quiet around here lately? Kind of sad. In any event, I know a lot of you are already reading this story, but I'm gonna recommend it anyway: So I've fallen in love by anothersmallperson. This story is seriously incredible! Definitely one of my favorites on here. So if you haven't read it...what are you waiting for? :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter or put it on alert! Actually, thanks to everyone who read it. Now...this chapter sort of drifts away from the Halloween theme to take a trip into the mind of Sharpay Evans. What started out as a short discussion between Kelsi and Sharpay turned into a study, if you will, of why Sharpay behaved the way she did in the movies - specifically why she treated Ryan and Kelsi the way she did. This chapter also features a mini-theory about why people may have thought Ryan was gay and why Sharpay thinks people thinking so was ridiculous...this isn't something I've ever addressed in a story (because it never mattered to the plot), but it's an issue that comes up a lot in the fandom, so what the heck? **** I've also developed a little theory on Sharpay and her motivations and that's basically what this chapter is all about. ****Important to the story because it helps set up what's coming - it's also a halfway introduction to Charles..."annoying, two-timing Charles" as Sharpay refers to him. What's coming? Among other things, the next chapter (once done...I'm working on it) will feature some flashbacks showing exactly how Ryan and Kelsi got together and might also have some of Ryan & Kelsi's date...not sure about that since it depends on how long the flashback stuff gets. But we'll see. In any event, relax, sit back and (hopefully) enjoy. I know I said this wasn't really Halloween related, but you know, the mind of Sharpay Evans can be a scary place. ;) **

* * *

"Stop fidgeting," Sharpay ordered. "I've told you that you look perfectly fine about a million times. Can we leave all ready?" Kelsi had purchased the costume after trying it on and then the two of them had headed back to Kelsi's dorm room to drop it off and change their clothes before they headed over to Ryan's apartment. Kelsi's roommate was out of town, so Sharpay was staying with her while Zeke was staying with Ryan. Both girls had wanted to look nice for their boyfriends, but in an odd turn of events, _Kelsi_ was the one holding them up. Sharpay had been ready to leave for the past twenty minutes and was fighting to hold onto some level of patience.

"Just fine?" Kelsi bit her lip as she studied her reflection in the mirror.

"Ugh." Sharpay rolled her eyes even as a smile tugged at her lips. "You look wonderful. Beautiful, fabulous, incredible. Whatever magical word that will get you out of this room - that's how you look, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay." Kelsi gave her a sheepish grin. "I just want to look nice for Ryan is all."

"You do realize that you could show up at his place wearing a trash bag and he'd still think you were completely gorgeous, right?" Sharpay asked.

"If you say so. But a trash bag wouldn't be nearly as cute," Kelsi pointed out, smoothing out her shirt with her hands as she spoke. She bit her lip as she looked back at Sharpay. "This is cute, right?"

"Kelsi Nielson, if you don't stop worrying about how you look so we can go, I swear I'll drag you out of here kicking and screaming. Don't think I wouldn't." Sharpay shook her head as she continued. "I swear, the way you've been carrying on trying to pick the perfect outfit for a guy you see practically every day is just insanity. Who are you? Me?" she teased, making Kelsi laugh. "Can we please leave? I want to see my boyfriend sometime this evening."

"Okay, okay." Kelsi grabbed her purse and let Sharpay lead the way out of her room, stopping to lock the door. "So, what are you and Zeke going to do tonight?"

"I...have no idea, actually," Sharpay shrugged. "But this _is_ New York we're talking about here. I'm sure we'll find something cool to do. We'll probably have a nice dinner somewhere and then, who knows? We'll figure it out." She flashed Kelsi a grin as they left the building and started walking towards the closest street to flag down a cab. "Don't worry. We'll be sure to give you and Ryan plenty of alone time," she snickered.

"Yeah...alone time with Ryan...great," Kelsi said slowly, suddenly feeling oddly nervous.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sharpay asked. "This isn't about what happened with the clown earlier is it?"

"Of course not," Kelsi said quickly, wincing when Sharpay lifted an eyebrow at her in response. "Well...kind of," she corrected herself. "I know it's silly, but I've felt so self-conscious since we ran into her..."

"I thought Ryan made you feel better," Sharpay frowned.

"He did...for a while. But I don't know...maybe seeing him will help," Kelsi shrugged.

"Ugh...if I could wring that little floozy's neck, I would," Sharpay grumbled. "Forget about her, Kelsi. She's not worth the energy and besides, you're doing something tonight that she'll never do."

"What's that?" Kelsi wanted to know.

"Spending the night with Ryan," Sharpay smiled, amused when a look of panic passed over Kelsi's face.

"It's not the entire night," Kelsi stammered. "Just until you and Zeke get back."

"It's still more alone time than she'll ever get. Relax and enjoy it." Sharpay smirked as she thought of her brother. "Though I should warn you..."

"Warn me?" Kelsi asked, confused. "Warn me about what?"

"Ryan hates it when you feel like this and will do everything in his power to make those awful feelings go away." She gave Kelsi a mock sympathetic look. "You're toast."

"Don't I know it," Kelsi grinned. "I've pretty much always been toast where Ryan's concerned," she added, surprised when Sharpay laughed.

"Once you realized your feelings for him, maybe," Sharpay acknowledged. "But Ryan liked you from the very first time he ever saw you." She shuddered. "Back when you were dating Charles...annoying, two-timing Charles. Honestly Kelsi, I never understood that relationship. He always seemed like such a sleazebag to me."

"He wasn't always like that," Kelsi said thoughtfully. "I mean, I'd known him since sixth grade and he used to be a nice guy."

"Key part of that sentence? Used to be," Sharpay shook her head.

"He changed," Kelsi agreed. "He was okay when we started dating though, back during sophomore year." She glanced over at Sharpay as something occurred to her. "Actually, you know what? I started dating Charles about two weeks before you and Ryan transferred to East High." Her expression grew thoughtful. "I wonder...what if I had said no to Charles when he asked me out. What if I'd been single by the time you guys showed up? I wonder what a difference it would have made."

"Oh Kelsi," Sharpay said softly. "It would have made all the difference..." She trailed off as she studied her friend for a few moments. "You know what Ryan said to me after he saw you for the first time?" She smiled when Kelsi shook her head. "It was our very first day at East High and we were in the cafeteria. He spotted you from across the room, waiting in line to get your food, and went perfectly still. He was like a Ryan statue," she chuckled as she continued. "I remember getting so mad at him because I was trying to tell him how important it was for us to establish our position in the school and he wasn't listening to me. So I yelled at him."

"What'd he do?" Kelsi asked, curious.

"Told me to shut up so he could concentrate." Sharpay grinned as Kelsi's jaw dropped.

"You're...you're kidding, right?" Kelsi was stunned. "I've never heard him tell you to shut up! Not once in all the time I've known you guys."

"He doesn't say it that much," Sharpay assured her. "That's how I know if I've pushed him too far...he'll only say it when he's really, really annoyed or ticked off at me. It's unusual." Her expression turned sheepish. "Ryan tends to be very patient with me...which I'm sure isn't easy since I can be so...well..."

"Sharpay like?" Kelsi supplied helpfully, though her expression was cautious.

"_Sharpay_ like?" Sharpay repeated, lifting her brow playfully.

"Sorry...that wasn't very nice," Kelsi said quickly.

"Kelsi, I swear...sometimes you act like I'm about to rip your head off for making a comment. When's the last time I yelled at you?" Sharpay asked.

"I...don't remember," Kelsi answered honestly.

"I know we didn't get off to the best start in our friendship, but I don't want you to be scared to talk to me. And besides...I think the term Sharpay like is very appropriate," Sharpay nodded. "I'm a difficult person," she added, sounding matter-of-fact. "Always have been. I could see why it'd be hard to love someone like me, but for some reason Ryan always has even when he wants to kill me for acting like, well, myself. It just goes to show what kind of person he is."

"A good one," Kelsi said softly.

"A good one," Sharpay agreed. "But even Ryan has his limits.

"So, okay," Kelsi jumped in, getting back on track. "You're saying that Ryan saw me and was watching me or whatever, and you were trying to talk to him, but he wasn't paying attention. You yelled at him and he told you to shut up," she summarized quickly. "So, how'd you respond?"

"When he told me to shut up that day, I was stunned," Sharpay said honestly. "Hardly anyone ever tells me to shut up. I don't respond very nicely when people do," she admitted. "It makes people not want to bother saying it. So, yeah, when anyone tells me to shut up, there's always a few seconds of total shock...and then I get pissed. I think I just stood there gaping at him as he turned his attention back to you, too stunned to say anything for a few seconds. And then I got mad and demanded for him to tell me what was so important that he would tell his own sister to shut up."

"What'd he say?" Kelsi asked.

"Nothing. I think I almost strangled him at that point," Sharpay said, with a laugh. "I followed his gaze to try to see what he was looking at. I think I assumed that he was looking at some girl, since I couldn't think of anything else that could distract him like that...though, actually, I don't think I'd _ever_ seen him that distracted before." Sharpay thought about that for a second before waving her hand and forcing herself to get back to the point. "But yeah, I followed his gaze and found myself looking at you. I rolled my eyes and asked him what was so special about you and when he didn't say anything, I looked over at him in time to see him slowly smile. Now I had his full attention, oddly enough, and he turned to me and I don't think I'll ever forget what he said next."

"What?" Kelsi pressed.

"He said 'I found her'. 'Who?' I asked, impatiently. His answer? 'My future girlfriend.'"

"What?" Kelsi's brow furrowed as she watched Sharpay, trying to keep her mouth closed. "He...he called me his..." she trailed off.

"Future girlfriend," Sharpay repeated, smiling at her. "He was smitten, Kelsi. From the moment he laid eyes on you, he knew that he had to make you his girlfriend. He spent the rest of the day trying to think of ways he could ask you out. It was so annoying...and okay, kind of endearing too. I can't even tell you how thrilled he was to find out that you were in the drama club." Sharpay rolled her eyes playfully. "As if he needed one more reason to like you." Her smile faded as she thought about what happened next. "Of course..."

"I was dating Charles by then," Kelsi said quietly. "He...he came to the drama club meeting that day...the same day you guys showed up for the first time."

"Ryan asked someone who you were and who he was...he was so depressed to find out that you already had a boyfriend." Sharpay winced. "I can't stand Ryan when he's depressed...or actually, I hate looking at him when he's depressed. It's like watching a sad puppy." She shook her head. "That's why I had to get involved."

"What do you mean?" Kelsi asked, confused.

"Didn't you think it was strange that we were always going to you for help with our performance pieces? I mean, with my parents money they could afford to supply us with the best music or dance instructors in the city. And yet, we were always going to _you_ for help," Sharpay chuckled. "We both benefited. Ryan, because that meant he had a legitimate reason to hang out with you and me, because...well, you have talent, Kelsi. Not that I ever would have admitted it back then, but it's the truth. You're a gifted composer and a wonderful pianist. You...you made us better," Sharpay told her, sincerity ringing in her tone. She opened her mouth to continue, but stopped when she realized that Kelsi was no longer walking beside her. "Kelsi?" Sharpay spun around to find Kelsi standing a few paces back looking utterly stunned. "What?"

"You...you...I made you better?" Kelsi's eyes were wide. "You really think that?"

"Of course I do, or I wouldn't have said it. Duh," Sharpay replied, rolling her eyes, though she couldn't help but be amused by Kelsi yet again.

"But...you were always snapping at me or demanding that I change stuff or..." Kelsi trailed off.

"Being an unholy terror?" Sharpay teased, surprising Kelsi into laughing. "I know I was pretty horrible to you, but it wasn't because I didn't think you were talented."

"Then why?" Kelsi asked, rushing to catch up to her. "Why did you treat me like that?"

"I treated a lot of people like that," Sharpay pointed out.

"But it was always worse with me," Kelsi countered.

"I know," Sharpay said softly, looking at Kelsi apologetically. "I'm sorry about that."

"I know," Kelsi nodded. "You've apologized to me before and I accepted it. We moved on and became...friends." She said the last word slowly, still getting used to using it in reference to Sharpay even though it could probably apply to the last year or so of their newfound relationship. "But...but I don't think you ever told me why. Why you were so much harder on me than you were on everyone else?"

"Easy. Ryan," Sharpay said quietly.

"Huh?" Kelsi blinked at her, surprised.

"Ryan got over his depression pretty fast, especially once you started helping us. It didn't take him long to figure out what kind of person Charles was and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before you figured it out, too. He decided he could wait," Sharpay told her. "He thought it out well - he figured that he could continue trying to get to know you better, all the while waiting for Charles to mess up. He hoped that you'd see Charles for what he was _before_ he broke your heart because he didn't want to see you get hurt, but of course that didn't happen." Sharpay paused. "Ryan cared about you a little more every day. That's why he held onto the ridiculous idea that you'd eventually be his girlfriend, even as your relationship with Charles continued. Not that it wasn't frustrating for him...your relationship lasted far longer than he thought it would, but he still waited. Waited and continued falling harder and harder for you." To Kelsi's surprise, Sharpay started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"It's ironic. Everyone at East High...at least _almost_ everyone assumed he was gay for the longest time. All because he dressed well and was into the theater and dancing and because he didn't have a girlfriend. Well, not until you guys started dating that is." Sharpay shook her head. "It was a ridiculous assumption, if you ask me. Considering the way he looked at you when he didn't think you were looking."

"Which was how?" Kelsi wanted to know.

"With love. He was so obviously smitten with you and somehow no one ever saw it. No one ever looked long enough. He wasn't as discreet as he thought he was, even though _you_ somehow never seemed to notice." She paused briefly. "You know, I gotta give Gabriella some credit here. She figured it out within a few months, near the end of junior year," Sharpay informed her. "I overheard Chad wondering if Ryan was gay one day and she was so genuinely surprised that he would think so because she'd seen the way he looked at you. Chad thought she was crazy, but she insisted that he start paying attention and he did..." Sharpay broke into another grin. "Chad never assumed Ryan was gay after that. He knew otherwise."

"So...how is all of this ironic?"

"You know why Ryan never had a girlfriend?" Sharpay asked, smiling when Kelsi shook her head. "Weren't you paying attention? He was waiting for you and Charles to break up so he could make his move on you. He never had eyes for any other girl; he wanted you and you alone. So there most of the school is, assuming he's gay, and there he is head over heels in love with a girl who's unavailable." Sharpay shrugged. "I find that ironic."

"I guess I see it," Kelsi nodded. "And this is all very interesting...and kind of confusing too, but...but what does that have to do with how you treated me?"

"I never really had any real friends growing up," Sharpay said, her voice going soft. "Sure, there were people who would fawn over us because of our parents' money and people we would hang out with, but hardly any true friends. Except for Ryan. From the time we were born up until we transferred to East High, we were best friends. We knew we couldn't always count on other people, but we could count on each other." She smiled again. "That's one of the reasons family is so important to Ryan. Sometimes family was all we had growing up. I...I depended on Ryan a lot. I don't like admitting that to other people and I promise I'll deny it if it ever comes up," she said, only half kidding. "But yeah, I depended on him...I needed him, especially when it came to performing. See, performing comes so naturally for Ryan. It's what he was born to do. Be on stage."

"So were you," Kelsi interjected.

"Thanks," Sharpay smiled. "But it's different for me. I always felt like I had to work so much harder than he did. That's one of the reasons why I always pushed him around. He just...he's so naturally talented that he can outshine me without trying to. That was never acceptable to me because I wanted to be the one everyone raved about, I wanted to be the star. I was okay with him getting attention, just as long as I got more," she said, wincing at her honesty. "That sounds so bad."

"No, it doesn't," Kelsi argued, quick to reassure.

"Yes, it does and you know it," Sharpay argued.

"Okay, yes it does," Kelsi agreed, giving her an apologetic smile. "That doesn't make you a bad person, you know. It just makes you human."

"Kelsi, sometimes you are much nicer to me than I deserve," Sharpay smiled. "I appreciate you saying that. But, yeah, back to me and Ryan in high school. I started thinking about what I could do to get the attention I wanted so badly. The attention I thought I deserved. It didn't take me too long to figure out that Ryan couldn't outshine me if I didn't let him. If I controlled the situation...if I controlled him...if I could be a diva and demand that he do things my way, than I could make sure that he never stole my spotlight." Her expression turned regretful. "I guess manipulating people comes as naturally to me as performing does to him."

"Sharpay…" Kelsi began, but stopped when Sharpay shot her a look.

"That's why I treated Ryan the way I did. You know a big difference between my brother and me? He's never had a problem sharing the spotlight. I mean…don't get me wrong, he loves the applause and he loves the attention about as much as I do. He loves to get his time in the spotlight, but he'd rather have none than take anything away from anyone else. The way he sees it, there's room for everyone on stage to shine," Sharpay went on.

"That does sound like him," Kelsi smiled.

"Yeah. That's one of the reasons he's such a great person...and one of the reasons why he was so easy to manipulate. I told you I figured out I had to control the situation, but I haven't told you how I managed to get control in the first place," Sharpay pointed out.

"How did you?" Kelsi asked.

"I appealed to his sensitive side, so to speak. I made him feel like I was hurt because he was getting most of the attention, which was true to a point except I wasn't quite as hurt as I made it seem. He felt so bad about that...bad enough that he was willing to let me take over. Which I did...though I gotta give Ryan some credit here. He figured out what I was doing soon enough, but decided that it wasn't worth fighting about it. He was more interested in keeping the peace with me and besides, I may have taken over but he still got to perform. And not only that, but he got to perform with his best friend...me. For a long time that was enough for him." Sharpay slowly smirked. "And then he met you. I tolerated his interest for you at first. I thought his crush on you was kind of cute, which was why I started suggesting we have you help us. At first I thought it was just a way to keep him happy, but then I realized that I had a problem. A huge problem packed in a small person. You."

"How was I a problem?" Kelsi was confused. "All I ever did was try to help you."

"I know," Sharpay said softly. "The problem was never you as a person, Kelsi. I'm sure that's what you assumed and I never bothered to tell you otherwise, but that wasn't it."

"Then what was the problem?" Kelsi pressed.

"Your talent. See...when we found out that you played piano and wrote your own songs, I assumed that you would be good. I wouldn't have bothered if I didn't think you would be. Good, I could live with. Good was acceptable. Good meant that you could more than likely play the right notes and keep the right rhythm. Good meant you wouldn't make us look stupid. But, see, good also meant that you wouldn't overshadow us. As far as I was concerned, that was the best case scenario." She let out a soft chuckle. "So, imagine my surprise when we heard you play for the first time and discovered that you _weren't_ good. You were incredible, especially considering how young you were. And while that was great for you, it was terrible for me."

"You...you were worried I'd steal your spotlight?" Kelsi asked.

"More worried that you'd steal my brother," Sharpay answered quietly. "I knew how he felt about you; I knew how strong those feelings were. I said I tolerated them, but that didn't mean they didn't worry me a little. Because what if you liked him back? What if you _did_ dump your boyfriend and started dating Ryan? And what if all of a sudden _you_ were his best friend and he forgot all about me? I didn't like thinking about that because when I did, it bothered me. I decided I could push it aside for a while, try to put his happiness ahead of my concerns. But then we heard you play..." Sharpay shook her head. "I may have thought you were a threat to me and my position as his best friend, but I never imagined you'd be a threat to me as a performer."

"Sharpay, I..." Kelsi trailed off, stunned.

"It's like I said...I depended on Ryan. We always performed together and I thought...I wondered...I worried that I wouldn't be able to shine onstage without him. It's kind of like he was my own personal spotlight, you know? He shines without trying too. Not great when he's leading and you're an attention seeker like me, but it's wonderful if he's backing you up. Ryan always made me look better, no matter how good or bad I was doing...well, except when he did things I specifically told him not to do," Sharpay grinned, though it faded quickly. "It's funny...somehow over the years I managed to convince him that he needed me. I made him feel like I deserved to be the one in the spotlight and that he should be lucky that I still let him in the act. But here's the thing...Ryan _never_ needed me. _I_ needed _him_."

Sharpay paused to collect her thoughts. "We heard you play, heard how good you were. I watched the way his face lit up as he listened to you and I knew that between his crush on you and your talent, that it would only be a matter of time before I lost him. I was worried that he'd realize that he didn't need me and I had visions of the two of you teaming up to put together routines...and I had visions of me being left in the cold without a best friend...and without a partner."

"We never would've..." Kelsi started.

"I know," Sharpay smiled. "It's just how I felt. You're both so naturally talented at what you do and I didn't think I measured up. I had been manipulating Ryan for a while by that point and I decided that the only way this could work was if I manipulated you too. I didn't want to lose my brother and I didn't want the two of you to start dating, but I didn't want to lose a great accompanist either. I decided that you were like Ryan...if I could control you like I controlled him than I could make sure that I was the one to stand out," she hesitated. "Why do you think I always made you change your compositions?"

"Because you didn't like them...at least not the way I wrote them," Kelsi replied.

"Wrong. I did like them. I liked them very much...but they didn't suit me as well as they suited him. If we had done your compositions the way you wrote them, then all my fears would've come true. You and Ryan would get the spotlight and grow closer in the process, and I'd be left all alone. So they had to be changed. It was all about me, remember?" Sharpay asked, sadly. "It was almost easier to manipulate you than it was to manipulate him. With him I used his feelings for me, his sister. With you, I used fear which helped me in two ways. One, if you were scared of me it meant that I could intimidate you into doing what I wanted. That helped with the performances. And two, I figured that you wouldn't want to date Ryan if you were scared of me, even if you broke up with your boyfriend, because you'd know I would've made your life miserable...well, more miserable than I was all ready making it."

Sharpay smiled at her. "I can't even tell you how many arguments me and Ryan had about you. He knew what I was doing, he knew I was manipulating you and he hated it. He would get so mad at me every time I yelled at you..." she trailed off as Kelsi opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it. "What?"

"If Ryan knew what you were doing and didn't like it, then why didn't...why didn't he..." Kelsi bit her lip, not wanting to finish the question.

"Why didn't he stick up for you more?" Sharpay finished quietly. "He tried to, in the beginning. I'd assumed he'd want to defend you once he figured out what I was doing, but I wasn't prepared for the strength of his defense. It scared me. I thought that if you saw him go out of his way to defend your honor that you'd end up falling heads over heels in love with him. He would've been your knight in shining armor and that would've been it for me." She held a hand up, sensing that Kelsi was about to jump back in. "I know now that you guys would have never abandoned me, but that was how I felt at the time. It was my biggest fear. No way could I let Ryan become your hero. I had to figure out a way to make him stop wanting to defend you. The only thing I had going for me was your fear of me, so I decided to use it more. Anytime Ryan defended you, I would attack you that much harder. I would make it so much worse on you than it normally was. Ryan's a smart person. He put two and two together and realized, again, what I was doing."

"So, he stopped trying. I know you probably felt like he was abandoning you, but it was his way of protecting you. He couldn't keep me from jumping at you, but he could stop me from treating you even worse. You know...sometimes I wish you weren't always so wrapped up in me when I was yelling at you." Sharpay shook her head. "I didn't make it easy for you to look anywhere else, but looking back I wish you would've paid more attention to him when I was yelling at you. Because if you had you would've seen just how much he wanted to defend you." Another shake of the head. "Honestly, Kelsi, I wish you had paid more attention to Ryan in general. It would have saved you a lot of heartbreak."

"Yeah," Kelsi's brow furrowed as she tried to wrap her mind around everything Sharpay had told her. "I wish I hadn't been so stupid...dating a creep like Charles when a great guy like Ryan was waiting around for me."

"You weren't stupid, Kelsi. Just...misguided. And hey, at least you eventually saw Charles for the jerk he was," Sharpay offered.

"Only because he was such a jerk at that party," Kelsi countered, frowning. "And then catching him with that girl the next day. Talk about feeling stupid." Her face brightened as she thought about Ryan. "Though I guess Ryan's plan did work, after all. I did go running into his arms after what happened with Charles."

"Literally," Sharpay snickered, but quickly sobered.

"Ugh...that was such a horrible time...I remember it so well." Kelsi's frown deepened as Sharpay finally managed to flag down a cab. "Too well..."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Please read. Whew. I'm relieved to finally get this up since for some reason up to this point, every time I tried to update my internet would stop working. This chapter starts out in the flashback and like 98% of this takes place back then, which only a small part being the current day. As always, the longer lines signify a transition from past to present, while the short dashed lines break up scenes within the past or present (depending on what it is at the moment). ****I wanted everyone to know exactly what happened with Charles back while they were in high school and I warn you, he ended up being a much bigger jerk than I'd originally planned. Geez, I thought Dawn was bad...Charles just might be worse. And speaking of Dawn, I have a few things to clarify. First, I mentioned this before but this is, and was always going to be, a mini-fic. My goal was to have it be five chapters, though now it's looking like it might be 6 (don't hold me to that...that could change, could be 7...definitely less than 10, ha). There's a lot of story to be told in so few chapters and as such, I have to decide what needs to be included and what doesn't. This'll be addressed more as we go, but I wanted to spell it out for you (some of you) here - Dawn has been after Ryan the entire time they've been at Julliard (remember that this is their 2nd year). You won't see a lot of that, however, because that makes Dawn more important than she really is. After all, this is primarily a story about Kelsi finding her backbone. And that brings me to my next point. Dawn. Time for a quick life lesson. You would be amazed at what people will do, what lengths they will go to, if they're either desperate enough or insecure enough. Dawn is both desperate _and_ insecure. The issue has been brought up that her attack on Kelsi was a bit much because in the "girl world" fighting is sneakier. That may be the general assumption, but it's a false one. There are girls/women who wouldn't even dream of trying to steal someone's boyfriend and, yes, there are girls/women who have no problems going after someone else's man and will do so in a sneakier way. Those are the types of people who will smile to your face and then stab you in the back. And then there is a 3rd group of people (girls/women in this case) who will stab you in the front, some of which will do so gladly. Maybe you've never met a Dawn in your life - consider yourself lucky if you haven't. I've met quite a few. Rest assured that people like her _do_ exist. Over the top, yes, but still very much realistic. Again: you would be amazed at what people will do when they're desperate or insecure enough...and shoot, sometimes they'll be people like Charles who are horrible for no other reason than the fact that they can be. Okay...disclaimer over. I think I'll have to go through this and comb through for errors because I know I've missed a few - if you notice any, please tell me (I'm open to criticism as long as it's constructive). Ooh yeah and before I forget, I have no idea where the inspiration for Kelsi's dream came from...it's a bit of a doozy. A fun one, I think...and no, I was not hitting the sauce as I wrote it, ha. Monster of a chapter ahead (like seriously...it's pretty darn long, if you ask me). Minor language advisory for this chapter, by the way. Hope you like it.**

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**"Kelsi! Kelsi, get back here!" Kelsi ignored her boyfriend as he called for her, rushing out of the empty room he had somehow convinced her to go into. The night had started out so wonderfully, but now it was ruined and Kelsi had no idea how it had happened. Everyone had gathered at Troy Bolton's house to celebrate the basketball team winning the state championship for the second year in a row. Kelsi had been having fun with her friends when Charles had appeared and told her he wanted to talk to her. She had followed him inside, assuming that he really _had_ wanted to talk, but it hadn't taken her long to figure out that talking was about the last thing on his mind. It had started with what had felt like an innocent kiss, but then he'd somehow managed to steer her over to the large couch.

Everything had gone downhill from there. His kisses had slowly gone from sweet to demanding, and his touch had gone from gentle to abrasive as he tried to move his hands over her. He had been moving much too fast for her liking and she had panicked, not ready to go where he was trying to take them. She had tried telling him to slow down and when that didn't work, asked him to stop. He had ignored her and she'd had no choice: she had shoved at him in the hopes of putting some space between him, but had pushed him harder than planned, sending him crashing to the floor. Charles had been furious and the two of them had gotten into a huge fight, which had resulted in Kelsi running out of the room. She hurried down the hallway, brushing past a concerned Zeke in the process. Not that she had fully registered his presence as her vision was blurred with her tears.

"Kelsi!" Charles sounded closer now and she practically shoved her way into the kitchen...and plowed directly into something.

"Whoa." Or rather, as she quickly found out, she had plowed directly into some_one_. Ryan Evans had gone into the kitchen for some reason...though he had forgotten that reason the precise moment that Kelsi had crashed into him, tears streaming down her face. "Kelsi? Kelsi, what's wrong?"

"I..." she managed, struggling to talk through her tears. She heard Charles call her again and winced, grabbing Ryan's arm. "Can you take me home? I have to get out of here."

"What's wrong?" he repeated, suddenly grateful that he had finally managed to get that blasted mascot outfit off. It made it much easier to pull her closer, instinctively wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a show of comfort. "What's the matter? Did someone hurt you?"

"I just want to go. Please, Ryan, please take me home," she pleaded, glancing back towards Charles and relieved to see that Zeke had cut him off and looked to be trying to keep him back and away from Kelsi. She nearly smiled, making a mental note to thank Zeke tomorrow in school. She turned her focus back to Ryan. "Please...can you take me home?" she asked again.

"Well, I would, but I got a ride here with Taylor and Gabriella..." he trailed off, spotting Taylor and Chad outside. "Come on," he said, removing his arm from her shoulders and grabbing her hand. He led the way outside, still wondering what had gotten Kelsi so upset. "Taylor!" Their friend looked up from her their friends and waved, smiling at them...at least until she saw that Kelsi was crying. She was frowning by the time Ryan and Kelsi reached them.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, looking from Ryan to Kelsi and back.

"I'm...I'm not sure," Ryan admitted. "But Kelsi wants to go home and I...well, I can't do it..." He looked at Taylor questioningly.

"We were just getting ready to leave, actually," Taylor informed them. "Come on, Kelsi...I'll take you home. Are you coming?" The question was directed to Ryan, who nodded. "Okay. Let me just find Gabriella and tell her we're leaving." She tossed her car keys to Chad. "Go ahead and unlock the car, I'll be right there."

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Kelsi was in trouble – big trouble. After leaving the party the night before, Ryan had suggested that the group go out for ice cream in an attempt to help cheer Kelsi up. Chad and Taylor had declined the offer, most likely wanting to spend some time alone, but Kelsi had decided to take Ryan up on it. She had received multiple text messages from Charles insisting that the two of them had to talk and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd hoped that if she hung out with Ryan long enough, Charles would eventually give up...if only for the rest of the night. Of course, Taylor had pointed out, much to Kelsi's disappointment, that most of the ice cream shops were probably closed by that time. But Ryan had then suggested that they just go back to his house, which Kelsi had quickly agreed to.

That was where the trouble had started, as far as Kelsi was concerned. Ryan had made them sundaes and they had quickly fallen into conversation. Talking with Ryan was so much different from talking with Charles, Kelsi had soon realized. It was easier with Ryan, more natural. The two of them could apparently talk about anything and it almost felt like they had, minus a couple of issues. Ryan had tried, again, to find out what had happened to Kelsi at the party and all she'd said was that she'd gotten into an argument with Charles, choosing to say no more about it. Ryan had studied her for a long moment with a contemplative look on his face as if he had been trying to decide the best course of action to take. Kelsi had spent the entirety of that moment chewing on her lip anxiously; worried he'd push the issue. But her worries proved to be for nothing as Ryan surprised her by letting it go, almost as if sensing just how much Kelsi wanted to avoid the subject.

From there, the conversation had drifted to other things ranging from lighthearted banter between friends to more serious subjects. Kelsi honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd had such an enjoyable conversation and was chagrined to realize that none of her talks with Charles even came close. They had completely lost track of time and Kelsi had been stunned when they finally realized how late it was, noting that they had talked for almost three hours. Ryan had driven her home them...on his Vespa. She hadn't wanted to admit it to him, but she had been afraid to get on it. She must not have hid her fear very well, though, because he had laughed and promised that it was perfectly safe and that he'd get her home in one piece. She had nodded and then fidgeted nervously as he helped fasten the helmet he'd given her to wear. Of course, he'd had to stand pretty close to her while doing so which was when she _really_ knew she was in trouble.

Kelsi had always thought Ryan was good-looking, but she hadn't realized just _how_ good-looking until he'd been standing so close. It was like she'd been looking at him with a brand new set of eyes, like her vision had suddenly improved drastically. She'd been most taken aback by his eyes. She'd known that they were blue, but she'd failed to notice all of the varying shades of blue or the flecks of gray in them. His eyes were quite beautiful, she'd thought to herself. She had quickly averted her gaze, however, when his eyes met hers, instantly confused by the way her heart seemed to be doing slow turns in her chest all of a sudden. It was at that point that she'd registered how gentle he'd been while he'd fastened her helmet and she had been astonished to feel her stomach slowly filling up with butterflies. Her gaze had then fallen to his mouth and lingered there for one split second too many, her face burning up as she quickly looked away. She'd shaken her head to herself at that point, wondering what it was about Ryan that seemed to be setting off all these strange feelings in her.

He'd then climbed up on the Vespa and instructed her to hop on and she'd felt her throat go bone dry as a result. She'd somehow managed to nod and had put her hands on his shoulders, almost shyly, as she'd carefully climbed on behind him. He'd told her to hold on and she'd gulped. Holding onto his shoulders seemed like the least awkward course of action, but she soon realized that she'd probably feel safer if she put her arms around his waist instead. She remembered chewing on her lip at that point as her hands timidly moved to either side of his waist, barely touching him. Of course, they'd started moving by then and she'd yelped, instinctively wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, fearful that she'd go flying off the back otherwise. Kelsi had squeezed her eyes shut as they drove, hoping that her anxiety over the ride would overshadow all the strange feelings being so close to Ryan had caused.

They hadn't. Sure, it had helped at first...up until the point Kelsi realized that Ryan was far more muscular than she'd given him credit for, that is. Dancing had done his body good..._real_ good, she'd thought to herself, though she couldn't help feeling horrified by the thought a split second later as she tried to figure out where in the world it had come from. All in all, it had made for a very interesting ride home and Kelsi had been surprised at the feeling of disappointment that had washed over her as he'd pulled into her driveway. She'd climbed off the bike hesitantly, grateful when he'd hopped off a second later to help get her helmet off, before removing his own. She was then ridiculously charmed as he proceeded to walk her to her front door – something Charles never did. Luckily for Kelsi, her parents had been away for the night so at least she didn't have to worry about getting in trouble for being out so late. A good thing, especially considering how much trouble she was in all ready.

There had been an awkward few moments while Kelsi fumbled with her house key, eventually dropping it. They had both reached down to pick it up at the exact same time and their hands had touched, causing a strange tingling sensation to makes its way through Kelsi's body. It had been almost electric and as her eyes had naturally met his, the feeling was gradually replaced by another strange sensation. One that seemed to have more warmth to it than the previous one somehow. Kelsi had gulped; pulling her hand away from his instantly as a third sensation washed over her, though this one she recognized. It was the feeling of shame. What was she doing? Or more specifically, what was her body doing? She had a boyfriend, after all, and it wasn't Ryan. If anyone should be giving her these kinds of sensations, it should be Charles – she had only been dating him for the past two years. So why could Ryan, a friend, cause all these feelings while Charles couldn't?

Kelsi hadn't had an answer for that and so had simply stepped aside while Ryan stood up with the key...she had forgotten about it in her haste to break the contact between them. Ryan had opened her front door for her and she'd managed a shy smile of thanks, barely registering when he held her key out for her to take. She had then very awkwardly thanked him for the ride home and he had smiled...though it had seemed strained somehow...and then surprised her by pulling her into a brief hug, whispering that he hoped she felt better.

Last night had certainly been a night for surprises, Kelsi decided with a sigh, biting down on her lip as she thought about what had happened next. Ryan had studied her for a moment before placing a very soft kiss on her forehead and murmuring something that Kelsi hadn't been quite to make out about Charles not being good enough for her. He had wished her good night and looking back she honestly couldn't remember if she'd said anything in response.

She did remember watching him climb back on his Vespa and give her a look that could only be described as wistful before putting his helmet back on. She had watched as he drove away, staying outside until he vanished from her sight entirely. She had then stumbled into her house, feeling all kinds of confused as she tried to wrap her mind around everything that had happened that night. She'd gone to bed with the hopes that everything would seem clearer in the morning.

Now she was on her way to school and was feeling what could only be described as bemused. Forget about anything seeming clearer...from the moment she woke up, things had only seemed worse. Of course, her dreams hadn't exactly helped her poor brain in trying to make sense of all that had happened. She knew she'd had more than one because she remembered waking up after the first one and staying awake for a few minutes before falling back asleep. That one she barely remembered, but it didn't matter because she could remember the one that followed all too clearly. She'd dreamt that she was back at the party with Charles, back on that couch while he'd pawed at her. She'd shoved him off of her in the dream just like she'd done at the party and he'd chased her all the same, but instead of being intercepted by Zeke, he had turned into a fire-breathing dragon.

Kelsi let out a humorless chuckle at the memory. Her dream had turned into some sort of strange fairytale from that point on. She'd run from Charles, which seemed entirely logical in the dream considering that he was, well, a fire-breathing dragon. Only instead of rushing into Troy's kitchen and crashing into Ryan, she'd stumbled out of the hallway and into a strange green meadow. She'd cried out for help and, as was often the case in dreams like this, it hadn't taken long for her hero to arrive...her hero being a man riding a Vespa and dressed in a Wildcat costume. In reality, a vision like that would be confusing to say the very least, but in the dream Kelsi had thought nothing of it, climbing onto the back of the Vespa like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She'd clung onto her heroic Wildcat as they drove away, gripping onto him tighter as she felt bursts of heat on her back. The dragon had been chasing them, furious that Kelsi had gotten away. The scene had changed sometime around this point, as dreams often do. All of a sudden the Wildcat and Vespa were gone, along with the fire-breathing dragon, and Kelsi found herself on top of what looked to be a tower of some sort. She'd been alone at first, but it hadn't taken long for Ryan and Charles to burst onto the scene, looking like they had been kidnapped from the Renaissance period, each grasping a sword. Their fight had been long and intense and Ryan had eventually won, though she couldn't remember how. No doubt because when she'd thought about her dream, she found herself quickly fast-forwarding to what had happened next.

The scene had shifted again after the fight. Kelsi was back on the Vespa with her arms wrapped tightly around Ryan as they drove through a beautiful countryside at night, coming to a stop near a river. The moon had been full and the evening had been still as he'd helped her off the Vespa, intertwining his fingers with hers as he led her closer to the river. He'd then pulled her into his arms before framing her face in his hands as he leaned in closer, whispering that he loved her before bringing his lips to her in a sweet and passionate kiss.

Kelsi had woken up with her arms wrapped firmly around her pillow, images of Ryan floating through her head. Her hand had instantly gone to her lips in what could only be described as disappointment as she realized that it had all been a dream. She sighed as she found a parking space. Yeah...she was most definitely and without question in major trouble. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about her dream or Ryan since waking up. She shook her head, trying to force Ryan out of her mind and instead focus on finding her boyfriend. She still wasn't in the mood to talk to Charles, but she knew she'd have to eventually and it was probably better to get it out of the way sooner as opposed to later.

Kelsi hurried to check the music room first since Charles sometimes met her there in the mornings. She reached the room and took a deep breath as she noticed that the door was just barely cracked open. She hesitated briefly as a feeling of dread worked its way throughout her, slowly inching closer to the door to push it all the way open. She had just touched the door when she heard sounds coming from inside the room. Her nose wrinkling in disgust as she realized that it almost sounded like a couple was in there making out. She winced, hesitating again, as she tried to figure out what to do. Either she could just hang around outside of the music room in case Charles showed up or she could barge in the room and break up what was going on, knowing that Ms. Darbus – or any of the faculty, for that matter – would be less than pleased at this kind of behavior going on in school.

She nodded to herself, taking another deep breath as she made her decision, shoving the door open before she lost her nerve. She marched in the room, preparing herself to try to order the people in it to leave...but found herself coming to a sudden stop instead. Her jaw dropped open at the same time she all of her air whooshed out of her body. There was a couple in there making out, all right. The girl was a blonde student that Kelsi could vaguely place as being on the cheerleading squad with Martha, though she had no idea what her name was. Not that Kelsi cared what her name was - it didn't really matter at the moment. What _did_ matter, however, was the fact that the unnamed girl in question was currently making out with Kelsi's boyfriend. "Oh my God," Kelsi whispered, horrified. "Charles!?"

"Hey Kelsi," he replied, sounding oddly calm as he pulled himself away from the blonde to smirk at his girlfriend. "I was wondering when you'd get here."

"I...you...what's..." Kelsi stammered, struggling to make sense of what he'd just said. "You...you were waiting for me?"

"Of course, I was," Charles replied. "I didn't want you to miss the show." He turned his attention back to the blonde, ignoring Kelsi for the moment. "Thanks for helping out, baby," he murmured.

"Anything for you, Charles," the blonde responded flirtatiously. She glanced up at Kelsi and winked as she went on. "Especially after last night."

"Oh, now, I should be the one thanking _you_," he argued. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? I gotta finish things up here."

"Sure," the blonde smiled at him, giving him a brief kiss as she got to her feet and grabbed her backpack. She paused as she reached Kelsi, her eyes looking over her in disgust. "Baby, I cannot believe you put up with _this_ for two years," she said to Charles, flashing Kelsi a mean smirk before leaving.

"What...what exactly did she mean about last night?" Kelsi asked quietly, voicing the first thought that came to mind.

"Oh, well, me and her had some fun last night. See, Kelsi, there's some girls who have no problem doing what you won't," he said coldly. "You wouldn't sleep with me, so I just found someone who would."

"You..." Kelsi felt her heart sink to her knees as her eyes filled with tears. "You slept with her?" she managed, her voice whisper soft.

"I did," he answered. "It was great, too." His eyes narrowed as he stood up to face her. "But, hey, this shouldn't bother you." His expression turned mean. "Considering you were doing the same thing with Evans last night."

"What?" Kelsi was stunned. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you last night, Kelsi! I saw you riding on his scooter while he drove you home or wherever you guys went. You were holding onto him all nice and tight. Don't think I don't know what you guys did," he sneered.

"Nothing happened!" she protested. "I left the party with some of my friends after...after you attacked me."

"Hey, we were having a good time, Kelsi. Don't even try to deny it...or at least we were until you flipped out on me." He shook his head at her in disgust. "Seems pretty hypocritical if you ask me. You won't sleep with me, but you have no problems sleeping with him."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Kelsi countered, though her voice wasn't nearly as strong as she would've liked it to be. "Ryan's a friend...a g-good friend, but just a friend. Yes, he drove me home, but that's all that happened."

"You expect me to believe that?" Charles laughed.

"It's the truth," she said quietly.

"Whatever..." he shook his head again. "If you want to be his little tramp, that's fine with me," he huffed. "I don't know why I spent the last two years with you," he added. "What a waste. You're so stupid, Kelsi...there's a lot of girls that would've killed to be in your position for the last two years," he smirked again. "But, ya know; now they'll get their chance. I'm a free man now." He let out a dark chuckle as he watched her lip tremble as she fought against the tears that were dying to escape. "Aww...is this the part where itty bitty Kelsi starts to cry?" he mocked her. "Why don't you go find your new boyfriend and see if he can make it all better?" Another dark chuckle. "Assuming he wants anything to do with you after last night...he got what he wanted. I can't imagine you were any good...I'm sure he'll figure out that he can do a lot better."

"I hate you," Kelsi whispered. "I hate you!" She turned on her heels and fled the room, trying her best to ignore the evil sounding laughter that seemed to follow her out. She raced down the hallway, barely able to see through her tears. Unfortunately Kelsi had never been the most coordinated person in the world and ended up tripping over her own feet as she rounded the corner, falling and hitting the floor hard.

"Kelsi!" She winced as she slowly got up, hardly registering the sound of Martha's voice coming from a few feet away. "Kelsi, what happened?" Martha asked, sounding closer.

"Are you okay?" Taylor's voice chimed in, but Kelsi ignored them both, pushing her way past Jason – who had apparently been walking with Taylor and Martha – as she took off again. In the back of her mind she knew she could probably use her friends right now, but at that point the instinct to flee was way too strong. So she kept moving as fast as she could through the crowd of students in the hallway, ignoring the three friends now calling her name. She headed blindly towards the cafeteria, just barely avoiding ramming into a surprised Zeke.

"Kelsi, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

"Leave me alone," she managed, pushing into the cafeteria.

"Not happening," he fired back. "Kelsi, look out!" he exclaimed a second later. The warning came too late.

"Oof!" she mumbled, her small body making solid contact with someone else's. The impact of the collision was nearly enough to send her bouncing back towards Zeke, but she felt two arms wrap around her instead.

"Okay, we've gotta stop meeting like this, Kelsi," a voice said...a voice that happened to belong to the guy who'd had a starring role in Kelsi's dreams the night before: a certain Ryan Evans.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Hey," he said, sounding concerned now. "What's wrong?"

"Let me go, Ryan," she whispered. "Please..."

"No way," he said in response, keeping one arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders and using the other one to push her hair away from her face. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she muttered.

"This is the second time you've crashed into me crying in less than twenty-four hours," he pointed out.

"I said I was sorry," she reminded him.

"I don't want an apology, Kelsi. I want to know what's going on. Come on...look at me," he said softly, cupping her chin with his free hand and gently tilting her face up towards him. "Oh, Kelsi," he whispered, brushing away some of her tears as he studied her. She just barely resisted the urge to close her eyes against his touch, his fingers whisper soft against her skin. "What happened? Come on, you can tell me." At someone's pointed cough, Ryan nearly smiled. "Us," he corrected. "You can tell us."

"Us?" Kelsi squeaked, not wanting to turn around to see who he was referring to. "Who exactly is 'us'?" she managed.

"Well, there's me and Zeke...and Taylor and Martha and Jason," Ryan informed her.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Kelsi winced at the sound of Gabriella's voice. "Kelsi, what's wrong?"

"What, do you guys have me LoJacked or something?" Kelsi mumbled, surprising a soft laugh out of Ryan. She let out a long sigh, keeping her eyes trained on Ryan's face, drawing comfort from his steady gaze...a fact that would no doubt worry her later on, but for now she had other things to worry about. "Are we missing anyone?"

"Just Chad and Troy," Martha piped up from behind her.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kelsi nearly smiled at Troy's voice, unsurprised to hear it by that point.

"Never mind," Martha said quietly.

"Chad, too?" Kelsi asked.

"Chad, too," Ryan confirmed.

"Wonderful," Kelsi sighed.

"Okay, now that we're all here," Taylor began as the group formed a loose circle around Kelsi and Ryan. "Would you mind telling us what's wrong?"

"I..." Kelsi trailed off, tearing her eyes away from Ryan's face and turning her head to meet Taylor's worried gaze. "Charles...he...um..."

"Charles?" Chad's voice was sharp. "What'd he do to you? I'll kill him."

"Easy there, champ," Taylor mumbled, rolling her eyes as she reached over to pat his arm. "Why don't we let Kelsi explain what he did _before_ you kill him?"

"Did he hurt you?" Gabriella asked, her voice soft and concerned.

"Not...not physically," Kelsi whispered.

"But...he hurt you otherwise?" Gabriella deduced.

"Kind of," Kelsi admitted.

"I'll kill him," Chad growled. "That no good Small Person hurting..." he muttered, trailing off at Taylor's look.

"What'd he do?" Ryan asked quietly, though his voice sounded oddly dangerous.

"We broke up...he...he cheated on me," she told him, ignoring the soft gasps that followed. "I...I caught him in the music room with some girl...they were making out."

"Oh, Kelsi," Gabriella said sadly, reaching out to put her hand on Kelsi's shoulder in a show of support. "I'm so sorry."

"As I all ready said..." Chad began. "I'll kill him!"

"Is...is that all?" Taylor asked hesitantly, wincing at the look Ryan shot her. "I mean, I'm sorry to ask, but...but I feel like there's more to this...is there?"

"Um...well, we got into a fight last night at the party..." Kelsi started.

"About what?" Taylor pressed.

"Remember when he came over and pulled me away from you guys to talk?" Kelsi pulled away from Ryan as she spoke, suddenly wanting to put some distance between them for some reason she couldn't figure out at the moment. "Well...let's just say that talking was about the last thing he wanted to do..."

"Kelsi," Martha spoke up, sounding alarmed. "He didn't..."

"No!" Kelsi said quickly. "I mean...he...we ended up on the couch and I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't..." She bit her lip as she glanced over at Martha. "So...I...well, I kind of pushed him off the couch..."

"You...you pushed him off the couch?" Martha repeated and Kelsi could tell that she was fighting a smile.

"Not on purpose," Kelsi said meekly. "I was just trying to put some space between us, but...I guess I shoved him a little too hard?"

"Thatta girl," Troy spoke up from Kelsi's other side, sounding proud. "He deserved it."

"Oh, I can think of a few other things he deserves," Chad said, darkly.

"Down boy," Taylor teased him.

"Was that all that happened?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, I...I ran out of the room after I pushed him off and he went after me..." Kelsi turned to Zeke to give him a small smile. "But Zeke stopped him...thanks Zeke."

"You're welcome," Zeke said, flashing her a warm smile in return.

"Anyway...from there, I crashed into Ryan..." Kelsi winced as she turned back to Ryan. "Literally...I'm sorry about that..." He waved off her apology, his eyes looking gentle though they seemed to have darkened in color. Kelsi blinked, surprised that she'd even noticed, but she ignored the thought and forced herself to focus. "And then...and then Taylor dropped me and Ryan off at his house and we..." Kelsi paused again, unsure of how to continue. "We, um, had some ice cream sundaes...really good ones, actually..." she added, watching a small smile appear briefly on Ryan's face. "And then he took he home..." Kelsi winced again, remembering Charles' accusation. "Charles, um...he...he thinks that...well, he saw you driving me home and he thought...he thought..."

"Thought what?" Ryan's voice was soft as he asked, searching Kelsi's eyes.

"He thinks that we...well..." Kelsi lowered her gaze to his shirt as she continued. "He kind of thought that we slept together...which is apparently why he wanted to make sure that I...that I caught him making out with that girl." Kelsi closed her eyes as she heard a couple of her friends inhale sharply in response.

"He...he wanted you to catch him." Ryan surmised. "He..." Ryan jolted farther away from Kelsi, his jaw clenched. "He...he made sure you caught him."

"Y-yes," Kelsi whispered. "And he...well...I guess it doesn't matter..." she trailed off as she glanced around the group, noting that each of the guys looked furious, almost as if any of them might break away from the others and hunt Charles down any second.

"Did Charles do something else?" Taylor asked, sounding as angry as the guys all looked.

"He..." Kelsi settled her gaze on Gabriella, deciding that she was the safest person to look at for the moment. "The girl I caught him with? He, well, I think...I know..."

"What?" Gabriella pushed gently, her eyes wide with compassion.

"He slept with her last night," Kelsi admitted.

"That son of a..." Zeke muttered, cutting himself off.

"Do I really need to say it?" Chad demanded of the group, looking at each person in turn. "I'm gonna kill him!"

"Not if I get there first," Troy growled.

"Guys...I appreciate you all wanting to kill him, but..." Kelsi bit her lip.

"But nothing," Chad interrupted. "No one messes with our little sister and gets away with it."

"Help," Kelsi whispered to Gabriella.

"Guys, Charles is a jerk...no arguments from me about that, but maybe it's better just to leave him alone. One of these days he's going to realize that Kelsi is completely amazing and that he was lucky to have her. He's going to wake up someday and he's going to know that he blew it," Gabriella began. "And if that's not punishment, I don't know what is."

"How about a punch to the face?" Chad asked hopefully, amused when Gabriella chuckled.

"He does kind of deserve it..." Gabriella said slowly.

"He's not worth it," Kelsi put in, shooting Gabriella a look. "Really."

"But you are," Troy argued.

"Well isn't this sweet?" Kelsi winced at the sound of Charles' voice. "All of you rallying around Kelsi like this. It's very touching."

"You," Chad growled.

"You have a problem, Danforth?" Charles asked.

"As a matter of fact I do," Chad replied. "My fist hasn't connected with your face yet."

"Chad," Kelsi hissed.

"Why don't you come a little closer and say that," Charles taunted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Stop it," Kelsi pleaded, willing herself to look into her ex-boyfriend's eyes and fighting the overwhelming urge to wince at the cruelty in them.

"Why? Are you going to cry again?" he added, in a baby voice.

"Okay, that's it...girls, take Kelsi away from here," Ryan muttered to Gabriella and Taylor.

"I don't think that's really a good idea, Ryan," Gabriella said quickly.

"He's right," Troy cut in. "We need to have a little chat with our boy Charles here." On the surface Troy's voice sounded friendly enough, but Kelsi and Martha exchanged a nervous look, hearing the tension behind the words. "Nothing's gonna happen. We just need to talk."

"No fighting," Gabriella said sternly. "I mean it."

"No fighting," Troy repeated. "Go on. You girls go over there." He nodded across the cafeteria. "It'll be fine."

"Go on, Kelsi, I know you want to cry," Charles said coldly. "Let me see those tears."

"Come on, Kelsi," Martha spoke up, glaring at Charles as she put a comforting arm around Kelsi's shoulders. "Let's get away from here. Don't give him the satisfaction of hanging around."

"Yeah, come on, Kelsi," Gabriella added, moving in closer on Kelsi's other side. Kelsi bit her lip, letting the other two guide her over to the other side of the cafeteria. Taylor followed, pausing to give Charles a dirty look over her shoulder.

* * *

Kelsi stared at the window of the cab, so absorbed in her memories that she barely noticed all the buildings they were passing as their cab driver drove them to Ryan's apartment. She chewed on her lip as she remembered the way Taylor, Martha and Gabriella had murmured words of encouragement to her as they guided her away from the looming confrontation between the guys and Charles. They'd sat her down on the opposite end of the cafeteria, positioning themselves so she had a limited view of the guys. A faint smile appeared on Kelsi's face as she remembered how her friends had done their best to distract her, quickly coming up with a list of reasons why Kelsi should be grateful that her relationship with Charles the jerk – as he had been officially dubbed by Martha early on in the conversation – was over, though each of them kept stealing glances over at the boys, wondering what was going on. They all eventually got all the details later on and by now Kelsi had heard the story so many times that she could almost see it in her head. She absently fiddled with the strap of her purse as she allowed herself to continue her trip down memory lane, this time focusing on the stories she'd been told about what had happened with Charles after she had been lead away...

* * *

"Okay, now then...it seems like we have ourselves a little bit of a problem, Charles my man," Troy began once the girls were out of earshot.

"Yeah," Zeke chimed in. "That girl is like a little sister to us. We don't like it when people mess around with her."

"Come on, guys," Charles grinned. "It doesn't have to be like this. We're all men, right? You know how it is. We have needs, needs that have to be taken care of, am I right? If one girl won't, we find another one who will. It's just part of being a guy."

"No, actually, it's not," Troy argued. "See, Charles-"

"Why are we wasting time talking to him?" Chad interrupted. "Talking's not going to get us anywhere. There's only one way to get through to this guy." He pounded his fist into his other hand. "Let's just keep it simple."

"The girls don't want us to fight," Troy reminded him before turning his attention back to Charles. "So we won't. Even if you _do_ deserve to get the snot beaten out of you."

"Just stay away from Kelsi," Zeke added. "Or there _will_ be a fight and you _will_ lose."

"You guys defend you like she's some little saint," Charles snickered. "Did I cheat on her? Yes, I did, but so what? She never had any intentions of sleeping with me, she just strung me along for two years. Two years I wasted on that girl!" He smirked as he shifted his attention to Ryan. "Though I gotta give you credit, man. She obviously had no problems rolling onto her back for you."

"That's it!" Chad exclaimed, lunging at Charles furiously. "You no good son of a-" Chad let out a sound that was somewhere between a groan of frustration and a growl as Zeke and Troy grabbed him, each holding onto an arm to keep Chad from getting to Charles. "Let me go! We can't let him just walk away! Not after what he did to Kelsi!"

"This isn't what she wants," Troy hissed.

"Come on, let him go," Charles shrugged, amused as Chad struggled wildly against Zeke and Troy, causing Jason to leap in between Chad and Charles to help hold Chad back. "Let him defend your friend's honor. Let me guess...she give it to you, too?"

"Let me go!" Chad protested, shooting daggers at Charles with his eyes. "We can't let him talk about her like that!"

"Kelsi's a great girl," Zeke put in, glaring at Charles even as he helped restrain Chad. "What you did to her was wrong. She deserved better!"

"Face it, man. Kelsi may like to pretend she's all sweet and innocent, but she is nothing more than a low-down, opportunistic tramp!" Charles laughed when Chad let out another enraged growl.

"Opportunistic?" Jason asked, confused.

"_That's_ the word you have a problem with in _that_ sentence!?" Chad asked, incredulous. "She's not a tramp!"

"She's not opportunistic either, though," Jason pointed out.

"I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner...why she'd sleep with you and not me," Charles said, shooting his attention back to Ryan. "You guys are going to end up working on the musical together. She probably slept with you to make sure that you'd go alone with whatever she wants to do with the show!"

"Let! Me! Go!" Chad exclaimed.

"He's not worth it!" Troy huffed. "Calm down!"

"Oh, I'll calm down...once I kill him!" Chad muttered.

"Ugh...Ryan...can you deal with, oof," Troy grunted as Chad's elbow slammed just below his ribcage. "Can you deal with him?" he finished, gesturing to Charles.

"Sure, Troy," Ryan said calmly...way too calmly. "I'll take care of it."

"Oh, sure, defend your little slut," Charles chuckled.

"I mean it, Hoops, let me go!" Chad shoved against his friends with all his might.

"Don't worry, Chad." Ryan stepped forward, looking back to meet Chad's furious gaze. "I'll take care of it." He gave Chad a knowing look and Chad barely suppressed a grin, as if suddenly remembering just how much Kelsi meant to Ryan. Chad have him a subtle nod before fighting harder against his fellow Wildcats, trying to give Ryan a window.

"What you did to Kelsi was inexcusable," Ryan began, his voice low and threatening. "No one deserves to be treated the way you treated her. No one. But the fact that you did it to Kelsi...Kelsi, the girl who put up with you and all your crap for two years. Kelsi, the best girl you're ever going to get. She deserved so much better than you. She deserved a real man. Not a pathetic loser like you." Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Stay away from her. I don't want you to talk to her. I don't want you to even _look_ at her. And if you hurt her again...oh, so help me..." Ryan shook his head, his hands balling up into tight fists. "Stay away from her," he repeated.

"Yeah, whatever." Charles rolled his eyes. "I'm done with her. She's not worth my time anymore, especially not now. I'm out of here." He turned to go, but stopped when Ryan tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh, Charles?" Ryan said, sounding oddly polite. "There's one more thing."

"Yeah?" Charles turned back around. "And what's th-" Charles didn't get to finish his sentence as Ryan's fist slammed into his face. "Son of a bitch!" Charles hand flew to his face, meeting with blood. A lot of blood. "I think you broke my nose!" Charles wailed.

"Yeah...you might want to see the school nurse about that," Ryan nodded. "Blood stains."

"You're going to pay for that, Evans!" Charles promised, yanking a container of napkins off one of the napkins and pulling a wad of them out to shove at his face.

"Ooh, look at me shake," Ryan said sarcastically, making a show of shaking his hand.

"I wouldn't go after Evans if I were you," Chad said, flashing Ryan a smirk of approval. "Unless you want to deal with me too."

"And me," Zeke added.

"And me," Jason agreed.

"And me," Troy concluded, shaking his head at Ryan in mild shock. Charles let out a furious growl and stormed across the cafeteria, heading for the nurse's office.

"What was that?" Ryan's brow furrowed at the sound of his sister's voice, turning around to meet her incredulous gaze.

"Well, Shar," Ryan began. "Charles cheated on Kelsi, assumed that Kelsi slept with me. Charles made out with some girl in the music room so that Kelsi would find him and then he came here and called her a tramp. So I decked him." Several seconds passed while Sharpay gaped at her brother in shock.

"He broke his nose," Chad added, gleefully.

"Morning princess!" Zeke piped up, unable to help himself.

"Um, morning," Sharpay replied, still looking dazed. She shook her head, sweeping her gaze over Ryan critically. "Nice job, Ry," she said finally. "Charles deserved it _and_ you didn't get any blood on your clothes. I'm impressed."

"Thank you." Ryan shot her a wry smile.

"Uh-oh," Sharpay muttered, nodding across the cafeteria. "Looks like Charles is heading straight for Kelsi."

"What?" Chad and Ryan asked at the same time, their expressions instantly filling with fresh fury.

"Down boys," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I'll take care of him this time." Ryan's jaw dropped as she took a few steps towards Kelsi, stopping to bring her attention back to Troy. "Hey, wait a second. Isn't the championship game coming up?" The question was asked as she whipped her cell phone out to look at something.

"It was last night," Troy said slowly, his brow lifting as she nodded vaguely, certain that she hadn't been listening.

"Good luck!" she added. "Toodles!" With that she marched across the cafeteria, leaving the bewildered Wildcats behind.

"Aw...she's so sweet," Zeke said dreamily. "What?" he asked when Troy lightly slapped him.

"You just...she..." Troy shook his head.

"What, it was sweet!" Zeke protested. "She's going soft, guys, I can feel it."

"She wished us luck on a game we all ready played," Troy pointed out.

"Exactly!" Zeke lit up. "She never would've wished us luck at all last year!" He sighed, much to Chad's amusement. "I love that woman," he added.

-----------

"Oh my goodness," Taylor gasped as Charles stalked towards them.

"What?" Gabriella asked, though she let out a gasp of her own as she spotted him too.

"You." Charles came to a stop in front of Kelsi, glaring at her.

"Oh my, Charles," Taylor said innocently. "Did something happen to your face?"

"You," Charles repeated, ignoring Taylor as he leaned in towards Kelsi. "I was the best thing that's ever happened to you. You will _never_ do better than me and you should be so grateful that I wasted as much time on you as I did. Shoot, you're lucky I gave you a second look, let alone two years! Not that you deserved it...not that you deserved _me_. You never did and you never will."

"I agree." Charles eyes narrowed at the voice, turning back to find Sharpay Evans smirking at him.

"Sharpay Evans," Taylor grumbled, sounding incredulous and annoyed at the same time. "I know you've had your problems with Kelsi and all, but how could you agree with that cretin?"

"Because he's right," Sharpay shrugged, leveling her eyes on Kelsi's. "You never did deserve him, Kelsi." She turned her attention back to Charles as her eyes went mean. "You deserve _better_." Kelsi's eyes widened as her jaw dropped, wondering if she'd been hearing things. Sharpay lifted her hand to Charles cheek and gave it a couple of hard pats, her smirk returning as he grunted in pain. "Toodles!" Charles let out a low growl as he stormed out of the cafeteria, muttering something under his breath about hating "those damn Evans twins" while the other girls gaped at Sharpay in surprise. "Have a nice day, ladies," Sharpay added, again to their bewilderment, before going on her way.

"Did that just happen?" Gabriella blinked. "Did she just..."

"Why do I feel like we just took a left turn out of reality and into the twilight zone?" Martha asked, a confused laugh escaping her as the boys approached.

"Chad Danforth." Kelsi marched over to him, putting her hands on her hips as she attempted to glare at him. "I didn't want you to hit him!"

"But I," Chad began, but stopped when Kelsi suddenly flung her arms around him.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Well, geez, I'd love to take the credit here, Small Person, but...well...I didn't hit him," Chad informed her. "I tried to, but they wouldn't let me," he added, jerking his thumb towards his friends.

"Troy?" Gabriella spoke up, her eyes narrowing at her boyfriend as she struggled not to look proud of him. "Was it you?"

"Hey, I was trying to keep the peace," Troy said quickly, holding his hands up in defense.

"Well, if it wasn't you or Chad..." Taylor started off, looking at Zeke, her eyebrows lifting in disbelief. "Zeke?"

"Don't look at me!" Zeke shook his head.

"Jason?" Martha piped up.

"Wasn't me either," Jason replied.

"Wait..." Kelsi shook her head, confused. "If it wasn't you." She looked from Jason to Zeke. "Or you...or either of you." Her attention shifted to Troy and Chad. "Then who..." she trailed off, her eyes widening as her gaze landed on Ryan. "Oh my gosh."

"Ryan?" Martha, Taylor and Gabriella asked at the same time, all sounding shocked.

"Geez, girls, why do you gotta sound so surprised? Ryan nailed him. It was awesome!" Chad grinned. Kelsi ignored him, stepping closer to Ryan, unable to tear her gaze from his face.

"Ryan?"

"He deserved it," Ryan shrugged, giving her a small smile as he massaged the hand he'd used to punch Charles. "Well, he deserved worse, but..."

"Did...did you get hurt?" Kelsi said quietly, gently grabbing his hand and examining it, looking for any sign of damage.

"No," Ryan said softly.

"Then why are you rubbing it?" she asked.

"Okay, so it hurt a little," he admitted. "It doesn't matter."

"But why..." The question died on her lips as she lifted her gaze away from his hand and back to his eyes.

"He hurt you," Ryan said simply.

"Ryan..." Kelsi studied him in wonder, her heart doing slow turns in her chest like it had the night before. "Ryan..." she repeated his name on a whisper, her eyes locked on his as it felt like the rest of the cafeteria was slowly melting away leaving only the two of them.

"Kelsi..." he said her name softly, surprising her by lifting his free hand to her cheek. They slowly began moving closer to each other, though neither one was doing it consciously...it was just sort of happening, like there was some kind of powerful magnetic force pulling them closer...and closer...and closer...their lips almost touching and then...the bell rang, jolting them back into reality. "We...we'd better get to class," Ryan murmured. Kelsi closed her eyes against the wave of disappointment crashing over her, feeling more confused than ever. "Come on Kelsi...we'd better go," he added reluctantly.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reading, putting this on alert or reviewing! I appreciate that so much, especially since things still feel a little slow around here. A couple more flashbacks in here...I loved the whole thought of Kelsi twirling her dress to see how it spins from LP thing enough that I put a tweaked version in here. Flashbacks (really it's basically the same flashback, just divided up slightly) basically just show how Kelsi's feelings for Ryan have changed by this point. Also halfway puts some light on the whole teapot deleted scene for me in a way. I think you'll see what I mean. Two chapters left (in theory): one being about Ryan and Kelsi's upcoming date and the other being about the party. Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!**

**

* * *

**"Kelsi?" When the smaller girl didn't reply, Sharpay tried again. "Kelsi...Kelsi!" she smirked as Kelsi jolted in surprise.

"What?" Kelsi asked a split second later, looking at Sharpay in bewilderment.

"Well, look who finally decided to return to reality," Sharpay teased her. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes! We're almost halfway to Ryan's apartment and you've been a zombie this entire time."

"Oops..." Kelsi flushed. "Sorry about that."

"Where were you, anyway?" Sharpay asked.

"Just thinking about what happened with Charles...our fight at the party, catching him with that girl..." Kelsi slowly smiled. "Ryan punching him the next day." She leveled her gaze at Sharpay. "_You_ sticking up for me. I swear, I almost fainted when you did that." She paused while Sharpay snickered. "Hey, why _did_ you do that? I don't think I've ever asked."

"I don't know...I mean, I'd known that Ryan was in love with you and that never stopped me from doing everything I could to keep you guys from getting together. But..." Sharpay hesitated. "Ryan is easily one of the most non-violent people I know. He'd rather make a point using his words, not his fists." Sharpay shook her head in amazement. "I'd never seen him attack anyone before. Well, I didn't actually _see_ him attack Charles but I saw him right afterward. I saw Charles afterward too." Sharpay winced as she remembered how awful Charles had looked.

"Ryan didn't just punch him...he broke his nose! If the other guys hadn't of seen it happen and if I hadn't see the damage for myself, I never would've believed it. I don't know..." Sharpay lifted up her hands for a moment before letting them drop onto her lap. "I knew Ryan loved you, but I'd somehow failed to notice how much. I'd been so certain that I knew..." She let out a long sigh. "I've always been able to read Ryan like a book, but somehow I always managed to underestimate his feelings for you. It seems so obvious looking back."

"I started feeling guilty," Sharpay admitted after a few moments of silence. "About the way I was treating Ryan...not just my twin, but my best friend. I started feeling bad about how I'd been treating you...especially after I saw how much Charles had hurt you. Maybe _that_ was the real turning point for me - that and Ryan's reaction," she said thoughtfully. "I thought I'd seen you hurt...you always looked like a wounded puppy after I'd yell at you. But...that day you were beyond hurt. You were completely heartbroken...heartbroken and confused. I guess...I guess I started seeing you as a real person then."

Sharpay let out a short giggle at Kelsi's look. "I tried not to think of you as a real person, as strange as that might sound. It's so much easier to manipulate someone when you don't take their feelings into account. I almost had to think of you as some sort of robot...a small, composing robot that was a threat to everything that mattered to me. It was a lot easier to think of you that way...as opposed to thinking of you as being the girl my brother loved. It made it easier for me to rationalize the way I treated you...but that day...I couldn't think of you as a robot anymore, Kelsi. Not when your feelings were laid out in the open for everyone to see."

She paused again, flashing Kelsi a small smile. "For the record? I never thought that Charles deserved you, not even when I _did_ think of you as a robot. You may have been a threat, but he was pure and total scum. As for why I defended you? It just...it just felt like the right thing to do. And then later, when Ms. Darbus told us about the Julliard scholarships, I saw how happy you and Ryan were for each other. I expected it from him, but you surprised me. You'd pretty much had your heart ripped out of your chest that day and you must have realized that he was your competition, but you were still so happy for him. And not just for him...for me and Troy too."

Sharpay let out a disbelieving huff. "It was almost too much for me. First, I started thinking of you as a person and then I had to accept the fact that you were probably the best person for my brother...oh shoot, forget the probably. You _were_ the best person for my brother. It took me long enough, but I finally figured it out. So...I made two decisions that day. Number one...I was going to try to ease up on you." She gave Kelsi a somewhat sheepish look. "_Try_...it took me a while to get good at it since I was so used to being so hard on you. And my second decision? I was going to stop standing in the way of you and Ryan getting together." She broke into a grin. "You know I told Ryan to take you to prom, right?"

"Right," Kelsi confirmed. "He told me that after he asked...well, after he _told_ me he was taking me since he didn't really ask..." Kelsi shook her head, smiling at the memory. "But, yeah, he didn't want to risk me finding out some other way and he wanted me to know that he asked because he liked me, _not_ because you told him to."

"You know _why_ I told him to take you to prom?" Sharpay asked.

"To get the song I was going to write for Troy and Gabriella," Kelsi answered, surprised when the blonde shook her head.

"That was _part_ of the reason," Sharpay acknowledged. "But it was also my way of giving Ryan my blessing...you know, my way of letting him know that I wasn't going to interfere anymore. Not that he needed it...he would've asked you anyway, but I felt like I owed it to him." Sharpay's smile softened. "You know what's ironic? I did a lot of what I did because I was scared of losing my best friend...when I gave him my blessing, so to speak, I did it knowing that I might end up losing him after all. But..."

"But," Kelsi cut in, smiling at her. "That didn't happen."

"That didn't happen," Sharpay echoed. "Me and Ryan actually got closer...kind of how we were before we moved to East High, but better. It makes me feel so stupid for acting the way I did," she added, with a sigh.

"You were scared," Kelsi said simply. "It doesn't excuse what you did, but that's okay. You're not trying to excuse it. But people do weird things when they're afraid...maybe even some not so nice things. That's what makes us human."

"And there you go again, treating me better than I deserve," Sharpay teased her. She broke into a giggle, shaking her head.

"What?" Kelsi asked, unable to resist grinning back.

"I was just thinking about how funny it was to watch you come to terms about your feelings for Ryan. Funny and, okay, pretty endearing too. We all watched you fall for him...it seemed like it happened pretty fast after the mess that was Charles...that's actually what made it so funny. You seemed so surprised to realize you were in love with Ryan, especially after having been with Charles for so long..."

"I thought I loved Charles," Kelsi said, somewhat defensively.

"Did you?" Sharpay asked, giving her a knowing look.

"If you'd ask me if I loved him while we were dating, I would've said yes without any hesitation, but with Ryan..." Kelsi trailed off, feeling her face begin to heat up. "Oh, gosh, it was so different with Ryan. He could cause so many strange feelings just by accidentally brushing his hand against mine for the briefest of seconds...feelings that Charles never caused the entire time we dated. So...in answer to your question, no. I never did love Charles. I didn't know what love was until Ryan showed me." Kelsi flashed Sharpay a sheepish smile. "Realizing I was in love with him was horrifying...I don't think I handled it very well."

"Kelsi, you insulted me and made a rambling fool of yourself when you figured it out," Sharpay giggled. "It was hilarious."

"Hey, the only reason I made a rambling fool of myself was because you tripped me!" Kelsi protested, though she couldn't help laughing. "Granted, I can turn into a rambling fool perfectly well on my own. But still..._that_ one was your fault."

"You shouldn't have insulted me," Sharpay countered. "You _should_ have thanked me for helping you figure it out."

"I was too busy trying not to wig out," Kelsi quipped.

"Yeah, how'd that work out for ya?" Sharpay grinned.

"Not well," Kelsi admitted. "I wigged out anyway...which is _why_ I insulted you. It totally wasn't on purpose."

"Oh, I knew that. You should've seen the look on your face," Sharpay snickered. "You looked like a deer caught in headlights just waiting to get hit..."

* * *

"I don't know about this dress," Kelsi muttered to Gabriella in one of the dressing rooms. They were having their first dress rehearsal for _A Night to Remember_ and Kelsi had just changed into her dress. A dress that, while having looked beautiful on the hanger, now made her feel a little exposed.

"Are you kidding? It's gorgeous," Gabriella said honestly. "It looks great on you!"

"Yeah, but...I don't usually wear things like this. I mean, okay, I guess it's not _too_ short," Kelsi decided, glancing down. "It does come to my knees...that's not so bad."

"Standing still maybe," Sharpay piped up from behind them, causing both girls to turn around in surprise. "Just wait until you spin around in it."

"What do you mean?" Kelsi asked, panic creeping its way into her voice.

"Give it a twirl," Sharpay smirked. Kelsi looked at Gabriella, who shrugged.

"Can't hurt," Gabriella offered.

"Okay...let's see," Kelsi muttered as she went into a spin, horrified to see out what Sharpay had meant. "Oh my gosh!" she gasped, her eyes wide as she gaped at Sharpay and Gabriella.

"It's not that bad," Gabriella said quickly. "I mean...I don't think Ms. Darbus would allow us to wear anything that could be considered inappropriate onstage. So you see some more of your legs...it's not much different from wearing shorts," she concluded lamely.

"Short shorts, maybe," Sharpay snickered. "Don't worry, Kelsi," she added, feeling a little guilty over the fresh wave of panic that flashed in Kelsi's eyes. "It's a beautiful dress and you look beautiful in it. Showing a little leg never hurt anyone." For a moment Kelsi merely stared at Sharpay, barely blinking, as she tried to process the compliment. "Besides," Sharpay went on, unable to resist. "I'm sure that _Ryan_ will love it."

"Why should I care if Ryan loves it or not?" Kelsi stammered, her face turning pink. In the month or so that had passed since her relationship with Charles had ended, Kelsi had continued to be confused about her feelings for Ryan – though they seemed to get stronger every day. The truth of the matter was that she was falling for him and falling hard. Everyone else knew it, but Kelsi had been trying to deny it. After all, in the midst of falling for him, Ryan had become one of Kelsi's best friends and she didn't want anything to get in the way of that. Of course, every now and then she'd catch Ryan looking at her with a look in his eyes she didn't quite recognize and she'd find herself wondering if it was possible that he was falling for her too. She always tried to ignore that thought when it came, positive that she was imagining things.

"Oh, I wonder," Sharpay rolled her eyes, her response cutting into Kelsi's thoughts. "Could it have anything to do with the fact that you're totally in love with him?"

"What!?" Kelsi yelped, stunned. "I...why would you...I'm not...no..." She shook her head, her eyes wide. "I am not in love with Ryan."

"Of course you're not," Sharpay nodded, patting Kelsi on the shoulder as she turned to one of the mirrors in the room. "You have no feelings for my brother whatsoever. I'm sure I've just been imagining the way you light up like a Christmas tree every time he's around."

"I...I do not," Kelsi stammered, crossing the room to look for the shoes she'd been given to wear for the number. All the while hoping that Sharpay would let it go and knowing that she wouldn't.

"Sure you don't," Sharpay shook her head as a mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Oh, hey Ry!" she exclaimed. At her words Kelsi spun around automatically, her eyes lighting up.

"Ryan?" she asked, hardly noticing the hopeful and almost exuberant tone that had magically appeared in her voice. "He's not here," she added a second later, feeling stupid as she realized that Sharpay had been messing with her.

"Oh wow," Taylor chuckled from the other side of the room. "Yeah...Sharpay's right. You don't like Ryan at _all_." Kelsi watched as Taylor and Sharpay exchanged grins and fought to keep her jaw from dropping. Taylor and Sharpay were actually having a moment of sorts...granted, it was due to a mutual amusement over Kelsi's behavior...but still.

"Yeah, no crushes here," Sharpay played along.

"Okay...so maybe I have a _little_ crush on Ryan," Kelsi admitted, wincing at the looks Taylor, Sharpay and even Gabriella shot her.

"Sure, and Gabriella thinks that Troy is a _little_ cute," Taylor teased.

"Okay, okay, okay," Kelsi sighed. "So maybe it's more than a little crush..."

"I'd say. Face it, Kelsi." Sharpay turned back around to look at her. "You're in love with him."

"I am not! Wouldn't I know it if I was?" Kelsi countered. "I mean...okay, yeah, so Ryan is really cute...well, actually, he's pretty gorgeous...He has amazing eyes, have you all ever looked at his eyes? They're beautiful." Sharpay and Taylor exchanged another grin as Kelsi continued, unable to help herself. "And he has a nice smile...but still...I could say the same from Troy and I'm definitely not in love with _him_." Kelsi tilted her head as she thought of Ryan, barely noticing that smile that spread across her face as a result. "And okay, so Ryan is really sweet...and funny...and talented...Goodness, he's talented. Probably the most talented guy in the school...and he's charming and kind....He gives wonderful hugs..."

"'_She's in love with the boy'_," Sharpay sang under her breath, making Gabriella giggle while Taylor snickered...Kelsi was completely oblivious.

"I mean, really, have any of you guys ever hugged him?" Kelsi asked absently as a soft sigh escaped her. "He has great arms...the kind of arms you could just get lost in...same with those eyes...Did I mention how amazing his eyes are?" Kelsi frowned as Charles came to mind, again failing to realize the smiles being exchanged between the other three girls. "And Ryan's such a good guy, too...nothing like Charles. Stupid, two-timing sleazy Charles...Ryan would never hurt me like that," she said softly. "He'd be such a wonderful boyfriend...we get along so well. You know, I can talk to him about anything...he's such a great listener...and I feel like he really cares, you know? Not like Charles...Ryan's probably really romantic too...he just seems like he would be, you know? And he'd be so..." Kelsi trailed off as realization washed over her, her eyes widening.

"Oh my goodness," Kelsi gasped. "I'm in love with Ryan!" The truth was practically screaming at her in her mind, flashing on and off in bright neon lights refusing to be ignored. "Oh no...oh no, oh no, oh no! You're right!" she nearly yelled to Sharpay. "I'm in love with him. Oh no, oh no, oh no."

"But...but being in love with him is a good thing," Gabriella said quickly, alarmed by Kelsi's rising panic.

"No! No it's not! This is horrible," Kelsi protested as she began to pace the room like a madwoman. "W-we're friends! I can't be in love with him! That'll ruin everything..."

"Some of the best relationships come out of friendships," Taylor supplied helpfully.

"B-but this is Ryan, we're talking about here! Ryan Evans. I'm in love with Ryan _flippin'_ Evans! Only _the_ most talented person in the school!" Kelsi cried.

"Well, I don't know about that," Sharpay huffed, though she was half-kidding.

"Not to mention the fact that he's rich...well, his parents are rich, but still! He lives in a mansion and I live in a small two-story house...stupid small house," Kelsi rambled.

"I like your house," Gabriella offered.

"Ryan's only out of my league like a million times over," Kelsi groaned. "And that's not even the worst part!"

"What's the worst part?" Gabriella asked, somewhat timidly at the look on Kelsi's face.

"He's...he's...he's related to _her_!" Kelsi exclaimed, pointing at Sharpay.

"Excuse me?" Sharpay protested as Taylor and Gabriella gasped.

"He's related to _you_!" Kelsi paraphrased, shaking her head. "It's awful!" She was just about to continue her freak out when she froze, suddenly realizing what she'd said. Kelsi slowly brought her gaze back to Sharpay, noting that the blonde seemed to have gone into a state of shock. Sharpay was just standing there, eyes wide and mouth slightly hung open, gaping at Kelsi. "Um...and by awful...I didn't mean, you know..._awful_ awful," Kelsi stammered as Sharpay's eyes suddenly narrowed. "I mean...well...I wasn't...I didn't..."

"Being in love with my brother is awful because he's related to me?" Sharpay's voice was quiet...eerily so. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"W-well, it means...um..." Kelsi chewed on her lip nervously, relieved when inspiration hit. "Oh, hi Zeke!"

"Cookies?" Sharpay's face lit up and she spun around to the door, exactly like Kelsi had done earlier. Kelsi, meanwhile, took advantage of Sharpay's distraction to dart behind Taylor, who she'd decided would make for a good human shield to save her from Sharpay's temper. "Zeke? Oh..." Sharpay pouted for a moment when she realized he wasn't there. Her eyebrow lifted at Gabriella's giggle. "Something funny, Gabriella?"

"Oh, nothing," Gabriella said innocently.

"I know what you're thinking," Sharpay began. "You're thinking that I'm in love with Zeke like Kelsi is in love with Ryan. Am I right? Huh? Is that what you think? Because I'm not," she said defensively. "Besides, we weren't talking about me...we were talking about Kelsi." With that Sharpay turned her focus back to Kelsi, who was wincing in anticipation, waiting for Sharpay to start yelling at her.

"Kelsi, who by the way, is really, _really_ sorry if she offended you," Kelsi said timidly, surprising Sharpay into laughing.

"Kelsi..." Sharpay started, shaking her head. "I just don't what to do with you. But stop looking so freaked...I'm not gonna kill you," she smirked. "At least not today. Of course, that's not to say that I won't get my revenge."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kelsi squeaked, alarmed by the look in Sharpay's eyes.

"You'll see," Sharpay said mysteriously. Kelsi's eyes narrowed as she watched Sharpay, still waiting for any sign of an impending attack. "Your shoes are over there by the way," Sharpay added, pointing to the corner of the room.

"Oh...thanks..." Kelsi mumbled. She hurried over to the corner and slipped her feet into the shoes, hoping for probably the two hundredth time that she wouldn't fall flat on her face while wearing them.

"Oh, hey Ry!" She heard Sharpay say a few moments later and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on Sharpay. Okay, yes you got me with that the first time, but I am not falling for it again," Kelsi announced, her back still to the door.

"Um...Kelsi?" Taylor piped up.

"Hmm?" Kelsi asked, looking over at Taylor who pointed towards the door. Kelsi turned around, confused, though she felt her face slowly turn pink as she saw that Ryan was indeed standing in the doorway. "Oh," she whispered. "Um...hi Ryan," she said lamely, trying her best to ignore the giggles from the other girls.

"Hi yourself," he replied, sounding amused.

"Thank _goodness_ you're here, Ryan," Sharpay said dramatically, grabbing Kelsi by the arm and yanking her towards him without any warning. "Kelsi here was really nervous about her dress. We tried to tell her she looks great, but I think she needs a man's opinion." Sharpay shot Kelsi a grin...a grin that, in Kelsi's opinion, seemed partly evil. "So, what do you think?" Kelsi bit her lip as she lowered her gaze to his shoes, feeling his eyes on her and not wanting to see the expression on his face.

"Hmm," Ryan muttered thoughtfully, stepping closer and surprising Kelsi by cupping her chin with his hand and gently tilting her head up to face him. "I think," he said softly, his eyes locking on hers and making it hard for her to breathe. "I think she looks beautiful," he finished, his voice ringing with sincerity. "Just have to make sure she keeps her head up. It'd be a shame if no one got to see her face...it's so pretty."

"Aw," Gabriella gushed, unable to stop herself.

"Okay, that's it," Taylor shook her head. "You need to start giving _our_ guys some lessons," she joked, though she ended up smirking as she realized that Ryan wasn't even listening to her since he was still caught up in Kelsi. "Yeah...why'd I bother?" she asked Gabriella, who giggled.

"You really do look beautiful, Kelsi," Ryan murmured.

"Thanks Ryan," she whispered shyly, positive that her face was bright red by then.

"Oh, Kelsi, did you need this?" Sharpay spoke up, holding up a couple of pages of sheet music.

"Oh, yeah!" Kelsi exclaimed, breaking out of her Ryan-induced trance and hurrying over to her. "One of the guys in the orchestra forget his music at home so I made him a copy. We should probably get out there," she rambled, spinning around to head back to the door. Of course in her rush to get away from the room, Kelsi failed to notice Sharpay discreetly stick her foot in the way which caused Kelsi to trip and fall...right into Ryan's arms. "Oh!"

"It's okay," he said quietly. "I've got you."

"You certainly do," Kelsi managed, trying to remember how to exhale as Ryan held her securely in his arms.

"You really gotta be more careful, Kelsi," he teased her, though he made no attempt at letting her go.

"Yeah," she breathed, knowing she should probably let go of him, but not wanting to.

"We'd better get on stage soon," Taylor spoke up, shaking her head at Sharpay in mock disapproval. "Good job," she muttered to the blonde, leaning in so only Sharpay could hear her.

"Yeah...stage..." Kelsi nodded, finally pulling herself out of Ryan's warm embrace.

"You know Kelsi," Sharpay piped up, smirking at Taylor as she continued. "Ryan was nice enough to tell you how beautiful you look, but you haven't said anything about him."

"Okay, that was a little evil," Taylor hissed in her ear, though Sharpay could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"Oh! You look good, Ryan," Kelsi said quickly, finally noticing the suit he was wearing. "Great lips." Kelsi's eyes widened in horror the second the word was out of her mouth. Did she seriously just tell Ryan he had great _lips?!_ What was wrong with her?! "Suit!" she corrected herself, a split second later though she knew that the damage had all ready been done. Ignoring all the giggles going on around her, she made a weak attempt to explain. "Suit, is what I meant. Not lips...I don't know why I said that when I meant to say suit because, yeah, it's a great suit and I wasn't talking about your lips. Not that you don't have nice lips, I mean...as far as lips go, they're pretty nice, but I wasn't talking about them or at least I didn't _mean_ to talk about them, it just sort of came out. So yes, you do have nice lips, but I really meant to say nice suit because it is a nice suit and you look good in it...better than good, really, you look great!"

Kelsi bit her lip, wishing that she could somehow rewind the past couple of minutes from her life and start over again – hopefully without making such an idiot out of herself that time. "Um..." she stammered, desperately looking for a way to change the subject as she noticed that Ryan was trying not to laugh. "Oh!" she gasped, suddenly realizing something she'd missed during her embarrassing tirade. "You don't have a hat!"

"Oh, yeah...there wasn't one with my costume," Ryan managed.

"We have to find out! I mean, you can't be without a hat, that's just wrong. I'll go look for one, okay? Okay," Kelsi decided, zipping out of the room before he could respond.

----------------

"Places, everyone!" Ms. Darbus called finally and Kelsi hurried to take her place by Ryan, though she found her steps growing slower when he was within her sight. She took a deep breath as she finished her walk to him timidly.

"There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared to," Ryan teased her as she reached him.

"I found you a hat," she said shyly, holding it up in offering while avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, thanks," he said, sounding surprised as he took it. She barely managed a nod and was surprised to feel his hand on her chin again, forcing her to look at him. "Kelsi."

"Ryan?" She looked at him hesitantly, half expecting him to start cracking up, but he gave her a warm smile instead.

"You're really cute when you ramble," he said softly, amused when she flushed in response.

"Then I'll bet I looked simply adorable a few minutes ago," she muttered, making him chuckle. "Oh, um...here," she said, her hands seeming to have formed a mind of their own as they instinctively reached up to pull his hat just slightly to the side. "That's better," she decided, feeling her face heat up even more when she found herself looking in his eyes. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself...I probably should've just let you do that," she mumbled, embarrassed. She started to pull her hands back and felt her eyes widening as he caught one of them and brought it to his lips.

"Thank you," he said, his voice as gentle as the kiss on her hand had been.

* * *

"Earth to Kelsi," Sharpay rolled her eyes as she made a show of cupping her hands around her mouth as she continued. "Earth to Kelsi, come in Kelsi."

"Hmm?" Kelsi mumbled, sounding distracted.

"Earth, otherwise known as reality, paging Kelsi," Sharpay tried again, smirking when Kelsi gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry...I was just thinking about what a total fool I made out of myself in front of Ryan that day," Kelsi chuckled. "And then the way he kissed my hand after I adjusted that hat I found for him. That was so sweet."

"Yeah...if we all hadn't known you were in love with him, we would've figured it out then. You looked like you were on cloud nine," Sharpay grinned. "All giddy and practically glowing."

"Well, what can I say?" Kelsi asked as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Ryan just has that effect on me." She lifted an eyebrow as Sharpay snickered. "You can laugh at me if you want, but I seem to recall that I was not the only person made stupid by a guy that day. Remember your reaction to seeing Zeke in his suit?"

"Touché," Sharpay nodded. "He looked great in that suit...better than great, actually," she smiled. "Better than I expected him to. I felt like I was seeing him for the first time and wondering how I could've failed to notice how hot he is." Her expression turned sheepish. "And, okay, my reaction to him wasn't one of my better moments..."

"You practically tripped over your own feet," Kelsi recalled.

"Yeah, I finally got to see what it was like to be you," Sharpay teased her.

"Gee, thanks," Kelsi said dryly. "At least _I_ made my cue the first time. Unlike someone else I can think of. Ahem." Kelsi gave Sharpay a pointed look which made her laugh.

"Okay, okay, I was caught up in my baker boy's unexpected hotness that I totally missed my cue. I can admit it," Sharpay acknowledged.

"Gotta love Zeke," Kelsi giggled. "Starting to go by himself and not even realizing you weren't coming at first."

"Imagine my shock...I, Sharpay Evans, President of the drama club miss my cue and this baking basketball player who looks surprisingly good in a suit makes it," Sharpay grinned. "I think that was the moment I finally woke up and realized what a catch he was...that's also when I decided that he was taking me to prom."

"Ha, yeah, and Zeke told everyone that he didn't give you a choice," Kelsi let out another giggle. "Like any of us believed that."

"Yeah, but you gotta love him for trying," Sharpay said, her smile softening as she thought of her boyfriend.

"You really love your baker, don't you?" Kelsi asked after a moment of silence.

"I do," Sharpay confirmed. "And you really love your dancer."

"How could I not?" Kelsi pointed out, causing Sharpay to nod in agreement.

"Kelsi? You're not actually worried about Dawn trying to steal Ryan right?" Sharpay asked suddenly. "I mean, I know she's been getting to you and I get that, but...you don't really think she can pull it off, do you?" She frowned as Kelsi hesitated.

"N-no...she's not Ryan's type," Kelsi answered finally.

"Why the hesitation?" Sharpay asked.

"Well...okay, so maybe Dawn doesn't have a chance with Ryan, but...well, I don't know. Maybe he's getting sick of having such a spineless jellyfish for a girlfriend. I don't know, I keep waiting for him to wake up and realize that he can do better," Kelsi sighed. "I don't know...I know he loves me-"

"Exactly," Sharpay interrupted. "Kelsi, I told you that Ryan wanted you from the moment he saw you. He fell in love with you so easily and his feelings for you have only gotten stronger. He waited for you for over two years and he was there for you when that jerk broke your heart," she smirked. "Charles broke your heart and Ryan broke his nose. Ryan, my non-violent mostly peaceful brother _broke_ his nose. I hope you appreciate how huge that is." Sharpay's expression turned compassionate. "Now you guys have been a couple for what, a year and a half? You're in love...anyone can see that. Ryan is always trying to think of new ways to show you how much he loves you. So, after all that, how can you seriously believe that he'll wake up someday and decide he can do better when all he wants is you?"

"See...I listen to you say that and I know you're right." Kelsi said, giving her a sad smile. "My head knows that it's all true and so does my heart...most of the time. But, I don't know...there's still that small piece of doubt lingering that I don't know how to get rid of."

"Everyone has doubts, Kelsi," Sharpay pointed out. "It's part of what makes us human," she added, using what Kelsi had said earlier about her. "But you can't let those doubts tell you how to live and what to believe. You have to have faith...in Ryan, in your relationship and in yourself. Stop doubting, Kelsi. Believe."

"I can try," Kelsi offered, wincing.

"No, no trying" Sharpay shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Believe." She glanced out the window as the cab came to a stop, her smile slowly turning into a smirk. "And if I didn't convince you to stop doubting, Ryan will. We're here." Sharpay paid the driver, ignoring Kelsi's protest, and the two girls climbed out of the cab and looked up at Ryan's building. "Brace yourself, Kelsi. Your doubts are _nothing_ compared to us Evans twins. You're toast."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Gotta love how I'm updating a Halloween related story around Christmas time. Just call me Jack Skellington, as I've recently been dubbed by a good friend of mine. :P Looks like I was wrong about the number of chapters left since Ryan & Kelsi's date is going on longer than anticipated. I was gonna cut some stuff to fit it all in, but I decided just to do another chapter instead. This one kind of jumps around in mood as you'll see. Going from a hopefully funny moment to a little steam to a Kelsi panic attack. The last of which may seem a little odd, but this is all stuff she has to work out in order to find her backbone. Her and Ryan will be talking about her freak out (among other things) next chapter in the conclusion of their date. I think I'm going to be putting LN and LP on hold throughout Christmas (unless I get an urge to work on either, that is) and doing a small series of Christmas related oneshots in honor of the season. Like I don't have enough stuff going on, right? Though the oneshots will be kind of like this story and more of a short term thing.** **In the meantime, hope you enjoy this chapter!**** As always, let me know. :)  
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"Are you sure I look okay?" Kelsi asked as she and Sharpay reached Ryan's apartment.

"No, Kelsi, you don't. I've been lying every time I said you looked great...all five million times," Sharpay answered sarcastically. "Just knock all ready."

"Sorry," Kelsi said sheepishly as she knocked. She did have a spare key to Ryan's apartment in case of an emergency, but she hardly ever used it – probably because she didn't like the idea of just barging into his apartment, even though she knew he wouldn't mind. Her face lit up as the door opened...only to fall a second later. "Oh...it's you."

"It's nice to see you too, Kelsi," Zeke replied dryly, amused when Kelsi's face turned a subtle shade of pink in response.

"Oh! I'm sorry Zeke...that was rude...I'm not, you know, _unhappy_ to see you or anything, I was just hoping..." Kelsi trailed off as he laughed.

"I know, I know. You wanted your boy, I get it," he nodded, stepping aside to make room for them to enter. "Come on in ladies." He made a sweeping gesture with one hand to usher them in. "May I take your coats?"

"May you take our coats?" Kelsi paraphrased. "What are you, Ryan's butler?" she added jokingly, though she turned around as Zeke indicated her to.

"It's called being a gentleman, my petite friend," he informed her as he reached for her purse, sticking it on a nearby table before helping her with her coat.

"Speaking of Ryan," Sharpay spoke up as Zeke moved to take her coat. "Where is he anyway?"

"In the kitchen talking to your mom on the phone," Zeke replied, setting both of the coats on the back of a nearby chair before leaning in to give Sharpay a kiss. "You look beautiful tonight, princess," he added softly. "You _both_ look beautiful," he corrected as he turned back to Kelsi.

"Ha!" Sharpay gave Kelsi a pointed look. "Did you hear that? Someone else thinks you look great. I wasn't lying to you after all."

"Lying?" Zeke asked, confused.

"I think Kelsi tried on about a million different outfits before I could convince her she looked nice enough to come over. I swear...it was like some sort of bizarre alternate universe...I was ready twenty minutes before she was!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"I wanted to look nice," Kelsi mumbled.

"You always look nice," Zeke informed her, his voice sincere.

"Aw, thanks Zeke," Kelsi smiled.

"And hey," he continued, waiting until her eyes met his. "That Dawn person has nothing on you. You're the one Ryan wants and the one that he loves. There's nothing she can do to change that."

"Gee, where have I heard that before?" Sharpay snickered. "Oh wait, I've been trying to tell her that ever since out run in with Bozo. I'm not sure the message is sinking in the way it should be."

"Not to worry, princess," Zeke smirked. "I'm pretty sure that Kelsi will be getting the message loud and clear by the time this evening is over." He gave Kelsi a knowing smile. "Ryan has a surprise for you."

"That reminds me..." Sharpay began, turning her attention to her boyfriend as she spoke. "What are _we_ doing tonight?"

"Things," Zeke said mysteriously.

"What kind of things?" she pressed.

"Well, I'm not telling you where we're eating, but I feel very confident in saying that dinner will be wonderful. And then, we may or may not be seeing a show that your dad may or may not have gotten us tickets for," he grinned.

"We're seeing a show?" she asked, sounding excited. "Which one?"

"You'll see," he answered.

"You're not telling me?" she pouted.

"Nope. Sorry princess," he shrugged innocently. "It's a surprise."

"Speaking of surprises," Kelsi piped up, glancing over towards the kitchen hoping to catch a glimpse of Ryan. No such luck so she turned her attention back to Zeke. "Do you know what mine is?"

"I do," Zeke nodded. "But I'm not telling you what it is."

"Please?" she asked. "I can still act surprised when he gives it to me," she added, making him laugh.

"Nice try, Kelsi, but no. I've been sworn to secrecy, though actually, I probably wouldn't tell you even if I hadn't," he informed her. "I will say that it's something you're going to love."

"Oh, now why'd you have to tell me that?" Kelsi groaned. "That just makes it worse!"

"What makes what worse?" Kelsi spun around at the sound of Ryan's voice, a bright smile appearing instantly on her face in the process. She took a second to drink in the sight of her boyfriend, unsurprised to feel her heart leap in her chest and her stomach fill up with butterflies when he smiled back. He still had the phone in his hand, she noted. "My mom says hi, by the way," Ryan told her, almost as if on cue.

"Tell her hi back," Kelsi responded automatically.

"Kelsi says hi back," Ryan echoed obediently, gesturing to Sharpay. "Mom wants to talk to you...okay, giving you over to Shar...yes...okay...I know...I will...Love you too. Bye." He wrapped up his conversation with Derby and then passed the phone to his sister before turning his attention to Kelsi. "Hi baby," he said softly, pulling her into his arms for a hug.

"Hi," she whispered, giving him a gentle squeeze. Ryan ran his hand through her curls and kissed the top of her head before releasing her, mindful of Zeke's presence. Sharpay had wandered off into the other room while chatting with Derby.

"Now...what makes what worse?" Ryan repeated his earlier question.

"I won't tell Kelsi what your surprise is," Zeke replied.

"But he told me I'd love it," Kelsi sighed. "That only makes me want to know more." She perked up as she watched Ryan. "So...will you tell me what it is?" she asked hopefully.

"Later," Ryan promised, amused when she pouted. "After Zeke and Sharpay leave."

"And when are you guys going?" Kelsi asked Zeke.

"Whenever Sharpay gets off the phone," Zeke rolled his eyes. "Which could be a while..."

"Dang it," she muttered.

"Geez, Kelsi, you're starting to give me a complex here," Zeke teased her. "First, you're bummed that I was the one who got the door and now you can't wait for me to leave. Sure makes a guy feel loved."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Zeke!" Kelsi said quickly. "It's not that I _don't_ want to see you, it's just..." She bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to continue.

"You want your surprise," he nodded. "I know, I'm just messing with you."

"I know you were," she assured him. "I think I'm feeling a little on edge..."

"Because of that awful Dawn person?" Zeke asked, frowning when she nodded. "I'm sorry you guys ran into her."

"At least Sharpay was there," Kelsi smiled at him. "She had absolutely no problem giving Dawn a piece of her mind, which I'm sure doesn't surprise you."

"Not at all," Zeke chuckled. "I wish I could've seen it."

"She was in rare form," Kelsi told him, though the smile faded from her face a second later. "I just wish..."

"What?" Ryan asked softly.

"I wish I was more like her, is all," she admitted. "It'd be nice to be able to stick up for myself for once."

"You know what you need, Kelsi? You need to get in touch with your inner Wildcat," Zeke declared.

"Excuse me?" she asked, confused.

"You think you can't stand up for yourself, right?" He waited for her to nod. "That's not true. The problem isn't that you can't do it, the problem is that you don't believe you can do it. So, you have to get in touch with your inner Wildcat. You know, that part of you that refuses to be trampled all over? The part that will always fight for what you deserve."

"And tell me, Zeke," she began, sounding skeptical. "How exactly does one get in touch with their inner Wildcat?"

"Well...you could start with a growl," he offered.

"A growl? Are you kidding?" she asked.

"Why not?" he shrugged. "It can't hurt."

"He has a point," Ryan decided. "Give us a little growl."

"Okay...you've both lost your minds. I'm not going to stand here and growl for you," she shook her head.

"Kelsi, if I can dress up like a Wildcat and practically drop dead of heat exhaustion when the normal mascot got sick and couldn't perform," Ryan sighed, narrowing his eyes at Zeke when he snickered. "If I can do that, you can certainly growl. Come on."

"Oh for heaven's sake," she mumbled. "Grr?" she offered hesitantly.

"You call that a growl?" Zeke asked. "Try again. This time put some more oomph into it."

"This is ridiculous," she protested.

"Come on," Zeke pressed. "You can do it."

"Ugh," she sighed. "Grrr."

"Well, that was...better," he frowned. "Maybe we're going about this wrong." The latter comment was directed at Ryan.

"Hmm...maybe you're right," Ryan agreed.

"Hey Kelsi? Do you know how to throw a punch?" Zeke asked suddenly.

"Do I _look_ like I know how to throw a punch?" she countered.

"Not really," he admitted. "But you know what? It's something everyone should know how to do. Maybe...maybe it'll help you learn how to do it. It might make you feel more capable. Not that you'd go up and punch Dawn, necessarily...though none of us would blame you if you did, she certainly deserves it," Zeke snickered.

"No argument here," Ryan muttered.

"But it might help to know that you could. Maybe it wouldn't be as easy for her to push you around if you knew you could deck her," Zeke finished. "I know that might sound strange coming from me, but I really think it could help. Here...I'll show you." Ryan stepped back, slightly amused, as he watched Zeke instructing Kelsi on how to throw a proper punch. "You need a target," Zeke decided after a while. "Here...Ryan, why don't you hold up a pillow for her to hit?"

"What are you guys doing?" Sharpay asked as she came back in the room, surprised to find her brother holding a pillow while Zeke was telling Kelsi how she should be standing.

"Teaching Kelsi how to throw a punch," Zeke answered. "I thought she needed a target to try it out on, so Ryan's holding the pillow for her."

"She should just use him for her target," Sharpay suggested. "Sure, hitting a pillow helps, but it might be better for her to hit an actual person." She smirked at her boyfriend. "You had me hit you when you taught me, remember?"

"Oh, yes, I remember," Zeke said dryly, shaking his head at Ryan and Kelsi. "She hits hard." He narrowed his eyes at Sharpay, who was looking back at him with an innocent expression on her face. "Extremely hard."

"I was just following your instructions," she said sweetly. "It's not my fault you almost puked."

"Yeah, that's another thing. She told me she was aiming for my shoulder, but plowed her fist into my stomach instead. I couldn't stand up straight for about a minute," Zeke admitted.

"He's a good teacher," Sharpay offered.

"Yeah...I'm just going to hit the pillow," Kelsi decided.

"Oh, come on, Kelsi, it's much more fun to hit a real person," Sharpay informed her, giggling at the look Zeke shot her. "Unless, of course, my brother is too scared to have you hit him."

"Excuse me?" Ryan lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You're the one holding the pillow," she pointed out. "I think you're scared that she might mess up your pretty little face," she added, saying the last part in a baby voice.

"Hardly," Ryan countered, tossing the pillow back on the couch before turning his attention back to Kelsi.

"I don't want to hit you," Kelsi winced.

"It'll be fine, I promise," Ryan assured her. "You won't hurt me."

"Well...okay," Kelsi said timidly, hesitating for a moment and then pulling her arm back and attempting her first punch...only to end up missing him entirely.

"That's okay, Kelsi." Zeke gave her an encouraging smile. "The movement itself was pretty good, just watch where your fist goes. Try it slowly first." Kelsi nodded, attempting another punch in slow motion and stopping right when her fist brushed against his jaw. "Good. Now try it again, but this time put some power into it."

"Hit him hard!" Sharpay chimed in, a somewhat evil smirk on her face.

"I don't know, guys..." Kelsi bit her lip. "I don't want to hurt you," she added to Ryan.

"Don't worry about it. You won't...but Zeke's right...if you want to learn how to do this right, you have to put some more power into it. It'll be fine," he promised. "Come on, hit me."

"Ryan..."

"Hit me," he repeated. "Come on, hit me."

"Hard," Sharpay added, slightly gleefully. "Pretend he's Charles and hit him hard."

"You're enjoying this way too much, Shar," Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Hit him, hit him, hit him," Sharpay chanted, ignoring him.

"Okay..." Kelsi said slowly, closing her eyes as she pulled her arm back again.

"As hard as you possibly can," Sharpay continued.

"What, do you want her to actually hurt me or what?" Ryan asked, making the mistake of turning to glance at her and inadvertently leaning in towards Kelsi in the process. Of course, that was the precise moment that Kelsi took a swing at him with all of her might, her fist making solid contact with his face. The force of the blow was so strong that it actually sent Ryan flying backwards onto the couch.

"Oh!" Kelsi gasped instinctively, her hands going up to her mouth in horror. Zeke and Sharpay's jaws dropped, identical expression of shock on their faces. Ryan's hand flew to his cheek as he cursed. "Oops," Kelsi whispered, hurrying to his side. "Are you okay?"

"You...you hit me," he managed, sounding incredulous. "You _really_ hit me!"

"They told me to!" Kelsi said, somewhat defensively, as she gestured to Zeke and Sharpay. "And so did you actually..."

"You hit me," he repeated, amazed. "You hit me _hard_!"

"You sort of leaned into it," she said meekly, wincing as Ryan narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm peachy," he muttered sarcastically, massaging his aching cheek with his hand. "Dammit Kelsi, that really hurt!"

"It did?" she asked, her face lighting up as she glanced back up at Zeke. "Did you hear that? I actually hurt him!"

"I know you did," Zeke managed, his chin quivering as he fought against the burst of laughter that was trying to escape. "That was perfect, Kelsi. I'm proud of you."

"You did great! He went down like a sack of potatoes!" Sharpay exclaimed, biting back a giggle at the expression on her brother's face. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"He did! He really went down. That was amazing!" Kelsi gushed, though her eyes widened as she turned her focus back to Ryan, who looked less than pleased at the moment.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Oh! Um, when I said amazing, I meant...you know, amazing in a really upsetting way," Kelsi offered, wincing at the look on his face. "I'm sorry honey," she added quickly. "I'm really, really sorry! Are you all right?" She lifted her hand to inspect his face for damages, but paused when he flinched.

"Did...did you just flinch?" Kelsi asked the question hesitantly, willing herself not to dissolve into giggles like she so desperately wanted to.

"No," Ryan said defensively.

"Oh, you totally did," Sharpay snickered. "Scared she's gonna hurt you again, Ry?"

"Oh, shut up," Ryan growled.

"That was," Zeke began, unable to hold back his laughter any longer. "That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my entire life! She dropped you, man. Little Kelsi..." he trailed off, barely able to breathe on account of laughing so hard. "That was...that was the...the highlight of this trip...so far."

"You're not helping," Kelsi hissed at him, though her lip quivered.

"Did you see the way he just went flying?" Sharpay giggled.

"Don't you guys have somewhere to go?" Ryan huffed angrily.

"You sure you want to be left with the champ here, Ry?" Sharpay managed.

"Out," Ryan snapped. "Both of you. Get out."

"Aw, is wittle Wyan upset because wittle Kelsi decked him?" Sharpay teased him.

"Ignore her," Kelsi said, though a giggle escaped before she could stop it. Ryan folded his arms across his chest as he gave her a withering look in response. "This...this is a good thing, though...I mean...you wanted me to feel better about myself, right? And...and that's why you agreed with the whole punching thing, right? So I could get myself in touch with my inner Wildcat, remember?" She chewed on her lip when he merely blinked. "Well...it worked. I mean...I totally feel all powerful now 'cause I know I can drop a person like that. It's...it's kind of exhilarating. You...you can understand that, right? And you're...you're happy for me, right?"

"Kelsi...you hit me really, really hard and my cheek is throbbing in pain," Ryan began.

"I'm really, really sorry about that," she said quickly, her face lighting up with inspiration. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him, relieved when his lip twitched. "You're not really mad at me, are you?"

"Better say no," Zeke advised. "Before she gets mad and hits you again."

"Okay, that's it," Kelsi decided, getting to her feet. "Don't you two have dinner reservations or something? You're really not helping. Come on." She ushered them to the door and shooed them out of the apartment. "Okay, now," she began, making her way back to Ryan on the couch. "Let me see." She brought her hand to his face, choking back another giggle when he flinched again. "Hold still." She gently ran her fingers down his cheek. "I really am sorry, Ryan. I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"Humph," he muttered.

"You're not going to be mad at me all night are you?" she asked, giving him her best puppy dog face. "You know I didn't mean it." She placed a few soft kisses on his cheek. "Forgive me? Please?"

"I guess I could forgive you," he said thoughtfully, a smiling spreading slowly across his face. "On one condition."

"What's that?" she asked, smiling when he tapped his lips with his finger. "Oh, I think I like this condition," she decided, brushing her lips against his in a sweet kiss.

"That was a good punch," he conceded. "Though next time? Hit the pillow and not my face, okay?"

"Okay," she giggled, leaning in for another brief kiss.

"Oh, hey," Ryan said suddenly. "I just remembered something. I got so caught up in getting your surprises ready that I forgot to come up with something for dinner. How does pizza sound?"

"Pizza sounds perfect," she decided.

"I'll call," he told her. She flashed him another smile as he reached for the phone, getting up to head into the kitchen to wrap up some ice for his face. He was hanging up the phone by the time she'd made a makeshift icepack for him using a clean dishcloth. Kelsi toed her shoes off as she lowered herself back onto the couch, this time choosing to kneel beside him.

"Here you go, baby," she said, carefully pressing the icepack to his cheek.

"Excuse me?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at her playfully. "_Baby_? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh!," she gasped. "I didn't mean...I wasn't calling you a baby, I mean, yes, I called you baby, but in the term of endearment kind of way. Not saying that you _are_ a baby, cause you're not." A soft and nervous giggle escaped as she continued, failing to notice the way he was slowly changing his position. "Even if I did knock you down pretty easily..." She winced as she studied him. "Not that I'm happy I hurt you because I'm really not," she assured him quickly. "It was just a great moment for me." Her eyes widened in horror as she thought about what she'd just said. "Well, I mean, I it was a great moment because I found out I could actually knock you down...not that I was _trying_ to, of course...I mean, I _really_ wasn't trying to...which kind of makes it cooler, but that wasn't my intention!" she rambled.

"Uh-huh," he nodded, narrowing his eyes at her mischievously.

"It's just nice to know I can defend myself if I need to, you know? Not that I would need to defend myself from you because it's not like you'd ever attack me or anything..." she continued.

"How do you know?" he challenged.

"Oh, come on, Ryan," she giggled. "I know you. You're not just going to up and...oh!" Kelsi let out a gasp of surprise as he suddenly pounced on her, sending her falling backwards onto the cushions.

"You were saying?" he smirked, amused by the bewildered expression on her face.

"You just...pounced me," she said slowly, slightly stunned.

"Yes, Kelsi," he nodded. "Yes, I did."

"You know, Ryan...it's not very nice to pounce on people," she informed him.

"It's not nice to deck people either," he pointed out.

"Okay, good point," she conceded, before lifting her eyebrow at him. "Hey Tigger," she began a moment later. "Are you planning on letting me get up anytime soon or what?"

"What's the matter, Kelsi Balboa," he quipped. "Don't like the tables getting turned on ya?"

"Not really," she admitted. "Let me up."

"I could do that," he said slowly. "But…I'd rather not."

"I think you should," she informed him as she curled her hand into a fist and positioned it between them. "Unless you want me to hit you again," she added, her eyes twinkling at him.

"That really did hurt, you know," he said softly.

"I'm sorry." She gently stroked his cheek with her hand. "If it makes you feel any better, my hand kind of hurts."

"Let me see," he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips against her hand when she held it up for him to inspect. Their eyes met and Kelsi felt her breathing come to a temporary stop as she realized just how close they were. He must have come to the same realization she did because he went completely still. The mood between them slowly changed, transitioning from a tender moment to something else as the air suddenly seemed to be full of electricity. Kelsi watched his gaze flicker to her lips and felt her throat go dry as her heartbeat began to speed up in anticipation. It was funny...she had just relived her memories of the time Charles had practically attacked her at that party which had been the beginning of the end of their relationship. Now she found herself in basically the same situation with Ryan as she had been with Charles at the party, pinned between the couch and his body. The only difference between the two scenarios – and it was a major one – was that whereas she hadn't been able to get Charles away from her fast enough, she couldn't wait for Ryan to lean in and kiss her.

"Ryan," she whispered his name, unable to take waiting any longer. She hooked her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer to bring his mouth to hers. Ryan pressed a hand to her cheek, gently caressing it as he deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him to hold him in place as he kissed his way along her jaw line to her ear.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear. Kelsi sighed in contentment as he kissed his way back to her lips, softly kissing them in a way that made her lightheaded. The kiss was a little more heated than the first and Kelsi found herself marveling over the differences between Ryan and Charles. When she'd been stuck on that couch with Charles, his kisses had been too demanding and his hands had been too rough. She knew his goal had been to get her to sleep with him, but she had ended up completely repulsed. Ryan was pretty much the exact opposite. His kisses were sweet and his hands were gentle and Kelsi simply couldn't get enough. With Ryan, she got the impression that there was nothing in the world he'd rather be doing than kissing her and Kelsi had no doubt in her mind that his kisses were coming from his heart, instead of other places like they had with Charles.

"Wow," he said quietly as the kiss ended, taking a couple of seconds to get his breathing back under control as he studied her. Kelsi could practically feel the love she saw in his eyes begin to fill her entire body, starting with her heart and working its way outward. "You are so beautiful, Kelsi. You have no idea." He leaned in and kissed her again, though this kiss was shorter than the previous two. "I just can't help myself sometimes," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly. "But...but maybe we should slow down a little?" Kelsi bit her lip at the question, touched that he'd care enough to ask it. The fact that he had asked it only made her want to kiss him more, so she did just that, this time putting more passion into her kiss.

"I love you," she murmured against his lips. The kiss gradually built in intensity and his lips slowly found their way to her neck. She closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the way his mouth felt against the skin there, a soft moan escaping as his lips lingered at a particularly sensitive spot. She began slowly running her hands over the muscles in his back, shyly exploring his upper body as his own hands began to wander. Kelsi found herself astonished over how his hands seemed to be strong and gentle at the same time, though it wasn't long before she wasn't able to think at all, especially once his mouth found hers again. He trailed his hand along her side, coming to a stop at her hip and subsequently, at the bottom of her shirt. Her eyes flew open as his fingers brushed against the soft skin underneath. He was kissing his way down the other side of her neck and Kelsi found herself torn between not wanting him to stop and trying not to panic.

"Ryan?" she whispered his name at first, amazed that she could speak at all, even though she doubted he'd heard her. "Ryan?"

"What is it, baby?" He murmured the words against her skin, his voice low and seductive, making her shiver.

"Um...Ryan?" Kelsi gulped. "Can we...um..." She chewed on her lip, horrified to feel tears in her eyes as she struggled to get the words out. "Please stop." She willed the words to come out forcefully, but she couldn't quite keep the whimper out her voice. "Please."

"Okay," he said softly, alarmed by her tone as he pulled away. "Okay..."

"I'm sorry." She said the words so softly that he just barely heard them as he eased himself back into a sitting position, both of them breathing heavily. She wasted no time sitting up, though his brow furrowed in concern as he realized that she seemed determined not to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"Hey...Kelsi, look at me," he said gently. "What's the matter, baby?" She shook her head, bringing her now trembling hands to her face as she attempted to get a hold of herself. She jolted at the feel of his hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?" She shook her head again, feeling like she might burst into tears if she tried to speak at the moment. She slowly peeled her hands from her face to look at the floor, wincing in anticipation of a blow up she was sure would be coming. "Kelsi, come on, look at me," he urged her, sounding worried. A knock at the door startled them both and Kelsi closed her eyes briefly, grateful for the interruption.

"That'll be the pizza," she said quietly. "You...you get the door...I'll get plates and stuff," she added, nearly hopping to her feet. He rose to his feet as well, quickly closing the gap between them before she could escape.

"Kelsi." She froze when she felt his hand on her chin. "Baby, please look at me." She bit her lip again as she let her eyes flicker to his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she answered quickly, way too quickly by the look on his face. "Get the door. I'll...I'll be right..." She swallowed a mouthful of air. "I'll be right back," she finished, darting out of the room before he could respond. She bypassed the kitchen, heading for the bathroom instead, hoping to get herself to calm down.

"Ugh," she groaned as she studied her reflection in the mirror. "You are pathetic, you know that?" She straightened her shirt before running her hands through her hair, memories of Ryan's kisses running through her head. She could recall, in perfect detail, the way his body had felt pressed up against hers. Could remember the way the muscles in his back moved and the way his hands had felt on her. She took a deep breath, taking into account how flushed she still was, remembering how his mouth had moved against hers...the way it had felt on her skin. She could still taste him on her tongue, she realized, struggling to remember how to breathe.

Ryan was dangerous, she concluded. Everything about him drew her in, pulled her to him. He had a habit of invading all of her senses, filling up her mind until she could think of nothing else. That would have been plenty dangerous on its own, but the real danger lied in the fact that he more or less held her heart in his hands. The love she felt for him was so overwhelming at times that she wondered if she might somehow drown from the weight of it. It made it so much easier for her to completely lose herself, to get so entirely lost in his kisses...kisses that she knew stemmed from his love for her. That made them all the more potent. He was intoxicating and wonderful and alluring and she was powerless to resist. Sometimes, like now, she wondered why she did. She loved him, after all, loved him and wanted him and from all indications, Ryan felt the same way about her. So what was the problem? Why did she have to have a total panic attack the second she'd felt his hand brush against the skin of her waist?

Kelsi sighed, knowing that she couldn't spend the rest of the night in the bathroom. A small part of her was still waiting for some sort of blow up at him, imagining that he was furious at her for making them stop. The larger part of her knew him better than that and imagined that he would be a perfect gentlemen about the entire situation and do everything in his power to make her feel better. She winced; the latter almost seemed the worse of the two in a strange way. He hadn't done anything wrong, after all. _ She_ had been the one to panic and for what? Okay, so maybe she wasn't ready to take things to the next level. Nothing wrong with that...so why couldn't she just calmly ask him to stop and have that be the end of it?

She let out another sigh, annoyed with herself for hiding in the bathroom when she should be with her boyfriend. Her intoxicating and wonderful and alluring boyfriend who was probably still concerned about her. A humorless chuckle escaped her at the thought. Better add compassionate to the list, she thought, shaking her head at her reflection. Yes...Ryan was dangerous and getting _more_ dangerous all the time. Kelsi took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, willing the backbone she knew was hidden in her somewhere to make its presence known the way it had when she'd decked him.

An unexpected giggle burst out of her at the thought. Knocking him down had to be worse than putting a stop to their make-out session, right? He had handled the whole getting punched thing rather well, she decided. Sure, he'd been a little annoyed at first, but she couldn't say she blamed him. She really hadn't expected to hit him _so_ hard. She took another deep breath, trying to commit the way it had felt when she'd punched him to memory as she slowly opened the bathroom door and cautiously stuck her head out to scan the area. Instantly feeling ridiculous for doing so, Kelsi left the bathroom and headed back to the living room...only to let out a gasp of surprise when she saw what was waiting for her...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Finally! I've been meaning to get this updated for forever so I am SO happy that I'm finally getting this chapter up. Major fluff warning issued for this entire chapter. I sent this to Jenn to look over and she thought that the ADA might need to issue a warning for this chapter considering how insanely fluffy it is. The song that Ryan plays for Kelsi is actually a combination of two different songs: _Belongs to You_ by Emerson Drive & _Center of My World_ by Chris Young. I couldn't decide which one to us so I sort of blended them together in a way that works and this should go without saying, but I don't own either one of them.I'm worried that the flow of this entire story has seemed a little random, though I will say that I've included all I've included for a reason. Heavy on the flashbacks, I know, but they all served a purpose. I thought that a good understanding of their background was important to the story. I wanted to show a bit of the journey Kelsi's taken, leading up to the party in the next (and most likely last) chapter. I'm going to try to get the next one up next week, but as always, we'll see. More updates coming, but in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and all the insanely mushy Ryelsi fluffiness it contains. Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated! :)**

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The lights had been dimmed and there were candles placed throughout the room creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Ryan was sitting on the couch tuning his guitar and for a moment Kelsi stayed glued where she was, mesmerized by the scene. He must have sensed her presence, however, because all of a sudden he stopped playing and looking back at her, an expectant and concerned look on his face. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"What's all this?" she asked in response, avoiding his question for the moment. She watched his lips form a small frown as he shrugged.

"Part of your surprise. Come here. The pizza's on the table and I got plates and drinks and stuff," he told her, nodding to the table. "Come on. I don't bite, you know."

"Oh, sorry," she said quickly, realizing that he was probably wondering why she hadn't moved. She made her way over to the couch and cautiously sat down a little ways away from him.

"Kelsi." He sounded calm as he set his guitar down, resting it against a nearby chair. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she answered.

"You're lying," he responded. "Something's bothering you. I can tell."

"Can we just eat?" she asked quietly. "Please?" She glanced at him, giving him a small smile. "The food's going to get cold."

"We can eat," he nodded, reaching over to open the pizza box. "We can eat and we can talk and you can tell me what's wrong. And then..." He smiled at her, causing a burst of butterflies to begin flying all around her stomach. "And then you can get your surprise."

"Does it involve your guitar?" she inquired, though she felt stupid a second later. Of course his surprise involved his guitar or he wouldn't have bothered to pull it out in the first place.

"It does," he confirmed. "I wrote a song about you and I want to know what you think about it," he added. "After we eat, that is."

"You wrote a song about me?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"I did. I started it a while ago, but got stuck…until today, that is," he said, handing her a plate. "I got inspired after we talked on the phone earlier and the rest just sort of came to me."

"You wrote a song about me," she repeated.

"Is that so surprising?" he asked with a chuckle. "You're my girlfriend and I love you. Why wouldn't I write one about you?" He paused, studying her. "I just hope you like it."

"I will," she said quietly, touched that he'd bothered to write a song about her in the first place "I know I will." She reached over for a slice of pizza at the same time he did and their fingers brushed against each other, making her freeze. A faint blush spread across her cheeks at the contact. It was pretty amazing, she thought absently, how much a simple touch from him could affect her. It felt like there was an electrical current running through her body, starting from her fingers and working its way throughout her. She instantly thought back to their kisses, feeling her cheeks growing hotter by the microsecond.

"I never get used to that," he murmured. "The way it feels whenever I touch you…especially when it's on accident. It's…"

"Electric," she whispered, pulling her hand away from his and grabbing the piece of pizza she'd been going for and trying to push the memories of their earlier make-out session from her mind.

"Electric," he echoed, giving her a thoughtful glance before grabbing a slice of pizza for himself. "Kelsi…"

"Nothing's wrong," she cut in weakly, taking a bite of her pizza.

"I didn't ask if anything was wrong," he pointed out. "I don't have to."

"It's just…" she trailed off.

"Just what?" he urged gently. "Come on, baby, tell me what's the matter. You know you can tell me anything." When she didn't respond, he frowned. "You _do_ know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I do," she answered quickly. "It's just…" She bit her lip, trying to work up the nerve to ask the question that she suddenly wanted to. "Ryan?"

"Yes?"

"Do…" She took a deep breath and when she spoke again, the words came out in a rush. "Do you think I'm a tease?"

"What?" he blinked, completely thrown by the question. He hadn't been sure what he'd been expecting her to ask, but it certainly wasn't that.

"Do you think I'm a tease?" Kelsi kept her eyes focused on her pizza, not sure she wanted to see the look on his face.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Well, it's just…I don't know…it's just that every time you kiss me, I just…it's so easy to get carried away and lost in the moment, but…well, I don't know, I'm just not ready to…well, for us…I'm…I'm not ready…Sometimes I feel like I am, but I'm just not. But…but it's so easy to get carried away and then I start panicking and I just…" she rambled. "I know that it's not fair to you, but I just…I'm not ready. I wish I was, but I'm not and it's not because I don't, you know, want to, I do, it's just…"

"You're not ready," he interjected softly.

"I'm not ready," she repeated. "And…and I feel like such a tease because I keep leading you on and then cutting you off and it's not…I don't mean to…I don't want to be a tease, but I can't seem to help it and I just…I don't know," she sighed, feeling her face heating up even more as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm rambling and I'm sorry that I'm a tease, even though I'm not trying to be one and I'm sorry I'm so insecure and -"

"Kelsi," he interrupted. "You may be many things, but a tease certainly isn't one of them."

"How can you say that?" she asked, surprised. "Don't you remember our little make out session a little while ago? Where I led you on, again, and then wigged out and locked myself in the bathroom? Do you remember that?"

"I do," he nodded.

"So how can you sit there and tell me I'm not a tease?" she challenged.

"Because of the way you respond to me," he answered simply. "Your reactions are far too genuine for them not to be real."

"So…so you're not mad at me for making us stop?" The question was asked timidly and she flinched when he brought his hand to her chin, gently tilting her face towards him.

"Kelsi, listen to me. I love you," he began. "I love you and it's okay that you're not ready. We're not on any kind of timetable here."

"But…but everyone else…well, a lot of our friends have already, well…you know…doesn't it bother you that we haven't?" she asked. "Don't you…well, don't you want to?"

"Of course I _want_ to," he replied honestly.

"So…doesn't it bother you that we haven't? That I'm holding out on you?"

"Well first of all, I don't know if I'd say you were holding out on me. You're not ready…it's not the same thing to me," he shrugged. "And, look, I know that it seems like everyone else our age is already sleeping with someone or sleeping around or whatever, but I don't care about them. What I _do_ care about is you and as much as I want to be with you, as much as I'd love to take you back into my bedroom and make love to you...I want to wait until you're ready. I don't want you sleeping with me because you feel like you have to or because you feel like you owe me. I don't want our first time to happen because you don't want to be a tease."

"But…but what about when things go too far and I freak out on you…that doesn't make you mad?" she wanted to know.

"Baby, I would rather have you freak out and make us stop than have you sleep with me and regret it the next morning," he answered. "We get carried away sometimes and that's okay. I don't want you to feel bad because you make us stop…and I don't want you to feel like you have to hide in the bathroom afterwards because you think I'll be mad at you." He nudged her shoulder with his. "Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry…"

"Stop apologizing," he said gently. "There's nothing to apologize for." He paused as he thought about that. "Well, maybe not for you," he frowned. "I'm sorry if I push you too far sometimes."

"Oh, don't do that," she said quickly. "Don't apologize. We both get carried away and lost in the moment. It's not just you. I've never felt like you were trying to pressure me into doing something I don't want to do or that I'm not ready to do." Her brow furrowed as Charles came to mind. "I've been with a guy like that and you're nothing like him." Her eyes softened as she studied her boyfriend. "Me and Sharpay were talking about him earlier…talking about how me and you got together and that whole mess with Charles and all that. That's…that's probably part of the reason I freaked out on you so much…Charles got so mad at me at that party…but…but I should've known you wouldn't react the same way. I'm sorry."

"Charles was a jackass," Ryan declared, relieved when she let out a weak giggle in response. "And I thought I told you to stop apologizing," he teased her. "You don't have to."

"Even so…I should know you better. I'm…" she trailed off, smiling when he lifted an eyebrow at her. "I love you," she said instead.

"That's more like it," he grinned. "I love you too." He leaned in to give her a quick, soft kiss.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?"

"For loving me," she responded. "And for being _nothing_ like Charles…and for being so sweet about me not being ready." She bit her lip. "Ryan?"

"Yes?"

"I…I may not be ready now, but…but that doesn't mean I won't be at some point…I don't know when that'll be, but I hope…"

"You hope what?"

"That you'll keep waiting for me…even if it takes a while," she finished.

"Of course I'll keep waiting for you, Kelsi. No matter how long it takes," he promised.

"Yeah? What if it takes a long time?" she asked.

"Then I'll wait a long time," he quipped.

"What if you meet someone else who is ready to be with you now?" she challenged.

"You're the only one I want," he said simply. "And you're worth waiting for. Whether it takes a few months, a year, two years…whatever. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"I do," she nodded, though she bit her lip again.

"You don't," he corrected, frowning a little. "There's something else. What is it?"

"Don't you ever get sick of this?" she asked.

"Sick of what?"

"Constantly having to reassure me about one thing or another. I must be the most insecure person you've ever met," she sighed. "You deserve better."

"Better than you? That's not possible," he argued. "This is all Dawn's fault, isn't it?"

"A lot of it," she admitted. "But even so…"

"I wish you wouldn't doubt yourself," he began carefully. "I wish you could have more confidence in yourself and how much I love you."

"I knew it," she sighed, her face falling.

"You know _why_ I wish that?" he asked.

"Because you're sick of always having to make me feel better about everything," she answered sadly. "Right?"

"Wrong. I wish that because I hate the thought of you feeling so bad about things. It's not about me, baby, it's about you. I want you to feel good about yourself and about us. Not because I'm tired of making you feel better, but because I love you. You can be so hard on yourself. Too hard." He ran a hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Way too hard. It makes me sad…you're such a beautiful and wonderful person and girlfriend and you can't see it."

"But Dawn-"

"Dawn is a petty, immature person who has to tear other people down just so that she can feel better about herself. She's an extremely insecure, cruel and jealous person," he cut in. "You know why she hates you?"

"Because she wants you."

"That's part of it," he conceded. "But more than that, I think she hates you because you are everything she isn't and she knows it. She's cruel, you're kind. She's selfish, you're about as far from selfish as a person can get. She's…not terribly unattractive, but not exactly attractive either and you are breathtakingly beautiful."

"Oh come on," she rolled her eyes.

"What?" he asked. "You're gorgeous."

"I am not," she countered.

"Yes, you are," he argued. "I'll show you." Ryan took a few quick bites of pizza before setting his slice back on his plate, grabbing a napkin and wiping off his face and his hands before putting it back down and getting to his feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" she asked, confused, though she put her slice of pizza back on her plate before getting to get feet as well.

"Just come on," he said, grabbing her hand and lightly tugging her towards the bathroom. He stepped as far away from the mirror as he could and gently turned her around so her back was to him and they were both facing the mirror. "Okay, now, forget about me – what do you see?"

"This is silly," she protested.

"Humor me," he urged, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her in place in case she tried to leave.

"I see me," she shrugged.

"Oh come on. You can do better than that. What do you see?" he asked again.

"I see a short girl with mousy brown hair and glasses," she answered, making him frown.

"What else?" he pressed.

"I see a girl with short arms and small hands and chunky thighs," she added.

"Hmm…" His frown deepened as he studied her in the mirror. "I think you might need a new prescription for your glasses," he decided. "Because we seem to be seeing very different things. Wanna know what _I_ see?" He continued without giving her a chance to answer. "Okay, so yeah, you're short, but whereas you apparently think of that as a bad thing, I happen to like it. It makes it easier for me to cuddle you. And okay, let's talk about your hair. I love your hair. It's always so soft and shiny and bouncy," he said, making her giggle in spite of herself. "And it always smells really, really good and while it may be brown, it's hardly mousy. There's all sorts of shades of brown in there and it's beautiful. Especially whenever the sunlight hits it." He smiled at her reflection.

"You mentioned your glasses, but you neglected to mention your eyes. Your big and beautiful eyes that are easily the prettiest shade of blue I've ever seen in my life. They're so expressive, too. I can always tell exactly how you're feeling just by looking into them and speaking of which, I could spend forever looking into those gorgeous eyes. I love your eyes," he said softly. "Actually, I love your entire face. My favorite face in the entire world."

"Oh stop," she cut in, though a faint blush was spreading across her cheeks.

"What? You have those knockout eyes, those nice, high cheekbones, a cute nose, nice lips," he smirked. "Nice and soft and extremely kissable lips. And can we talk about your smile? Your smile which is missing at the moment. Let's see…I think I know how to fix that." He wiggled his fingers against her sides and grinned when she giggled. "That's better. You have a beautiful smile. You just…you just light up the room when you smile. You really do. Let's see what else? You have great skin. It's always so soft and glowy."

"Glowy?" she interjected, lifting her eyebrow at his reflection. "Is that even a word?"

"Probably not," he admitted. "But hey, it works. Now…I don't know why you think you have short arms, but you don't. They fit your body perfectly."

"What about my hands?" she asked, lifting one up to inspect it. "They're small."

"Perhaps," he nodded. "But I happen to love them because they fit in mine perfectly."

"Hmm," she smiled. "You have a point."

"Now, what else did you say you had? Oh yeah…chunky thighs," he scowled. "And again, I have to wonder where in the world you came up with that. There isn't anything chunky about any part of you, including your thighs."

"But," she started.

"But nothing. You have a great body," he informed her. "And don't argue with me," he added, watching as she opened her mouth to respond. "Baby, listen to me: you are an extremely beautiful and sexy woman."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes. "You just think that because you're in love with me. But thank you." She grabbed one of his hands and lifted it up to kiss it.

"I don't think it, I know it," he countered. "I also know that there's a ton of guys who'd back me up on that point."

"Oh please," she repeated, looking at his reflection skeptically.

"Kelsi…if you only knew how many guys I've almost had to beat up because of the way they were drooling over you," he chuckled. "You walk through a room and there's always at least four guys watching you walk. I am dead serious." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Like I said – you're gorgeous and that's without taking into account how beautiful you are on the inside. You have an incredible inner beauty that just radiates out of you and makes you even more breathtakingly beautiful."

"Oh Ryan," she sighed, leaning into his embrace.

"You have to believe me, Kelsi," he said softly. "I'm not just saying it because I'm in love with you; I'm saying it because it's the truth. Call any of our friends up and ask. They'll all agree with me, I know they will." He gave her another gentle squeeze. "I have something for you."

"Oh yeah," she smiled, blinking away the tears that had filled her eyes sometime in the middle of his little speech. "Your song."

"Well, yes, I still have to play you the song I wrote you, but this is something else," he said, surprising her. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Just do it," he ordered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a necklace when she obeyed. "Pull your hair up for me," he instructed.

"Okay," she said slowly, still feeling a little confused as she reached up to gather her hair in her hands and lift it up for him. He carefully reached around and slipped the necklace around her neck and fastened it for her.

"Okay," he murmured, giving her a soft kiss on her cheek. "Open your eyes."

"What in the world," she mumbled, her gaze instantly lowering to the necklace. The chain was silver and just long enough that she could see the handful of small charms that were dangling from it. "What's this?"

"It's a charm necklace," he answered. "I, um…I wanted to give you something after our phone conversation earlier. Something tangible that you could look at and hold that could remind you of my commitment to you…our commitment to each other. I know I've given you stuff before, but this is different. See, each charm relates to our relationship in one way or another. There's a couple that represent each of us and then some that represent some of the things we have in common." Ryan reached around to let the charms rest in one of his hands; spreading them out as well as he could with his other. "Zeke found that one," he informed her, pointing to a silver hat charm. "He thought it was appropriate since we both have what he referred to as an unhealthy obsession with hats."

"It's not an obsession," Kelsi argued.

"Of course it's not," he agreed. "I tried to explain that to him, but I don't think I got anywhere. But the charm fits us either way."

"I agree," she nodded, smiling when she studied the charm next to the hat, which was black oval with the word dance on the front in silver script. "That one must be for you."

"It is," he confirmed. "It seemed like the best charm to represent me. That one and this one, which is actually for both of us," he added, pointing to the next one, which was a silver charm of the comedy and tragedy masks used to symbolize the theater. "And this is supposed to remind you of the love we have for each other, so I had to have a heart," he continued.

"Of course," she said softly as she shifted her gaze to the pink heart charm. "And you had to include music," she smiled, looking at the next charm, which was a silver staff with a treble clef and a handful of music notes on it.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Now, you have the dance charm to remind you of me, but this one is all for you," he pointed to the following charm, which was a silver grand piano. "And I wanted to have the heart charm in the middle of the necklace, so I had to find another one to make it work and they had a bunch of nice ones, but I decided to go with the teapot. We drink more tea than anyone else I know," he laughed. "I thought you'd like that."

"I love that," she beamed, studying the silver teapot charm on the end. "It's so cute." She turned around in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "I love the necklace, Ryan, it's beautiful." She pulled his head down to give him a quick, soft kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said quietly. "I just…I know you have your doubts sometimes and you get insecure about us and about yourself and I don't want you to do that anymore. I know I said that earlier, but…" He paused, changing gears as he went on. "It's like I said – I wanted to give you something tangible that you could look at and hold to remind you of my commitment to you. I, um..." he trailed off and she was surprised to see him looking a little nervous all of a sudden.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, it's just…sometimes I wonder if you have any idea how much I love you. I mean…okay, if I think about the future, you know _my_ future…there's so many things that seem unclear. I don't know where I'm going to be in five years or ten or whatever. I don't know if I'll still be here in New York or back in New Mexico or somewhere else entirely. I don't know if I'll be taking Broadway by storm or what. There's a lot of things I don't know, but here's the thing. When so much about my future isn't clear, there is one thing that is: you."

"Ryan," she whispered, feeling her heartbeat begin to pick up as she wondered where he was going with all this.

"See, Kelsi, I can't imagine my life without you in it. I can't imagine trying to make it without having you by my side. I can't imagine living a life without being ridiculously in love with you," he said sincerely. "I never used to think too much about marriage or having a family and all that. But now…I look at you and I think about building a life and a family with you and it feels so right to me."

"Ryan," she repeated, her eyes widening as she gaped at him.

"I'm not proposing," he said quickly, seeing a wave of panic wash over her features. "I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready to be a husband and father just yet. I want to get through school and grow some more as a person, as a man so that I could be the best husband and father possible. So, no, I am not proposing right this second," he assured her. "But I want to make you a promise and I want that necklace to remind you of this promise. At some point in the future, I intend to trade that necklace for a ring. It probably won't be anytime soon, but it will happen eventually. That's the kind of love I have for you, Kelsi. The kind of love that lasts for a lifetime."

"Oh," she sniffled, overcome by a wave of emotion.

"I love you," he said gently. "I love you so much and I don't want you to ever doubt my love for you again. When I fell for you, I fell hard. I'm in this for the long haul and there isn't anything or anyone that could change that."

"Oh Ryan," she whispered. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I should be the one asking you that," he smiled, leaning in to give her a sweet kiss. "Come on."

"Come on?" she repeated, blinking away her tears.

"I want to play you your song," he told her, easing out of her grip and grabbing her hand.

"Oh goodness," she chuckled weakly, letting him lead her back to the couch. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, you know."

"I disagree," he grinned at her as they sat down. "And it's not trouble. I love doing stuff like this for you."

"Don't I know it," she mumbled, making him laugh. "Well, you already made me cry," she added, watching as he picked up his guitar. "And somehow I have the feeling that you're going to do it again."

"I guess we'll have to see," he said, his eyes twinkling as he turned his attention back to her, absently playing a few chords while he gathered his thoughts. "I, um, well, I'm nowhere close to being as great of a songwriter as you are, but, well, I started this one a while ago, like I mentioned earlier, and I just got it finished up this afternoon. I think this might be the best song I've ever written which seems pretty fitting since I wrote it about the best person I know."

"Oh," she sighed, grabbing a napkin from the table. "I was right. You _are_ going to make me cry again."

"I think I've made the point I was trying to make to you tonight and I think it's sinking in, but just in case it's not…maybe this song will help. I, um, it doesn't have a title yet," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

"That's okay," she assured him.

"I hope you like it," he said, clearing his throat as he played the opening chords of the song. His voice was soft as he began to sing, slowly growing in confidence as he went along. "'_I've wasted so much time believing that in this life you try to get all you can take. When all along what I've been needing was to find just one good reason to give myself, really give myself away. Every smile that lights my face, every teardrop, every trace, every secret hidden place belongs to you. Anything that's good in me, all I ever hope to be, every drop of every dream belongs to you. Oh girl, you're the center of my world, that place in my universe. To me you're every dream I dream, the air I breathe, my everything,'_" he sang, "_'It's like I live to love you, girl, you're the center of my world."_

Kelsi dabbed her face with the napkin as he sang, wiping away some of the fresh tears that were rolling down her cheeks. Of course, those tears were quickly replaced by new ones as his beautiful song continued. "'_I'm letting go, I'm letting go now of everything I've ever held onto. Every smile that lights my face, every teardrop, every trace, every secret hidden place belongs to you. Anything that's good in me, all I ever hope to be, every drop of every dream belongs to you. A ray of sunlight shinin' down, the point my life revolves around. It's like I live to love you girl, you're the center of my world. Every place I've ever been, every chance I'll get again. Every secret, every sin, belongs to you. Anything that's good in me, all I ever hope to be. Every drop of every dream belongs to you, the center of my world.'_"

Kelsi sniffled as he played the closing chords of the song, feeling her heart flutter in her chest as he smiled at her. "Ryan…that…oh…" Her chin quivered and she waited, rather impatiently, for him to put the guitar back down. He opened his mouth to say something, but she flung her arms around him before he could. "Oh Ryan…"

"Does that mean you liked it?" he asked, sounding slightly amused and a little nervous at the same time.

"Liked it? Are you kidding?" Her voice was muffled as she spoke, her face pressed against his shoulder. "That was b-beautiful," she managed.

"I meant every word of that," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. "You…you're my everything, Kelsi."

"Oh stop," she mumbled tearfully. "You really have to stop talking or I'll never stop crying. I love you Ryan Evans. I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby."

"I know." She sniffled again as she eased away just enough so she could look at him. "I knew before, but after all this…" She shook her head at him. "I know. Believe me, after tonight I know."

"Good," he smiled. "Remember this…the way you feel right now. Remember it the next time you start feeling insecure about yourself or us or me or whatever. Then you'll know that there isn't any reason for you to feel that way because you know how much I love you, how much we love each other. Never forget that."

"I'll try," she whispered, giving him a watery smile.

"And then the next time someone..." He gave her a pointed look. "Like, I don't know, the human cockroach. Next time she tries to make you feel bad about yourself, you'll remember the way you feel now and her words won't seem as important. Because that's all they are, baby, just words. Words said by a mean and jealous person that aren't true and that don't mean anything. You don't have to let her get to you anymore, not as long as you remember this feeling and remember the way it felt when you punched me earlier." He lifted an eyebrow when she giggled.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"Humph," he rolled his eyes playfully. "My cheek still hurts a little, you know."

"It looks like you're getting a bruise," she said carefully, biting back another giggle.

"Perfect," he sighed. "It'll serve as a physical reminder of how it felt when you punched me…me, your poor innocent boyfriend who just wanted to spend the night showing you how much I love you, even after you decked me."

"Hey, you told me to," she reminded him sweetly.

"Gee, don't be too broken up about it," he teased her.

"I said I was sorry," she pointed out, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"You're lucky you're cute, you know that?" he shook his head, wiggling his fingers against her side to make her laugh.

"I _am _sorry about that," she said once he stopped. "I really didn't mean to hit you so hard." She softly kissed the part of his cheek where the bruise was forming.

"I know you didn't," he assured her. "And hey, I'm happy to know that you know how to punch now. It's a good thing to know…not that I want you to ever _have_ to punch someone, but you know. And see? I was right earlier. You _are_ stronger than you think you are."

"Maybe I am," she conceded. "Hey."

"Hey what?"

"Thank you. For tonight, for my necklace and my song, for waiting for me, for being such a wonderful boyfriend. I love you so, so much…and…and you know what else?" The question was asked somewhat hesitantly.

"What?"

"When I think about the future and how so much of it seems unclear…" She smiled at him. "There's one thing I _can_ see and that's you." She touched her necklace, watching as his eyes softened. "And this will help remind me that you see me in yours too…I'll remember your promise and I want you to know that I'm going to be holding you up to it. Someday."

"Well then," he said, brushing her hair away from her face with his hand. "Here's to someday." They leaned in for the kiss at the same time, going back in for a second one once the first ended.

"Here's to someday," she echoed softly.


End file.
